as in scaring
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
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Recent Examples of terrorizing
The year Goldberg-Polin and her family arrived in Israel, the country launched Operation Cast Lead, a massive military operation aimed at halting intensifying Hamas mortar, missile and rocket fire terrorizing southern Israeli communities.
—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Investigators would soon discover a disturbing truth that Daniel had been impersonating a boyfriend Kristil had as a teenager for months, terrorizing his own family before ultimately killing his wife.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025
Each one of those alerts puts millions of lives on hold – part of Russia’s strategy of terrorizing and exhausting Ukraine’s civilian population.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, who joins the ancient Demon Slayer Corps after seeing his family killed by the man-eating demons terrorizing 20th-century Taishō-era Japan.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
Known for Los Espookys, Fantasmas, and Problemista (along with some of SNL’s funnier and kookier bits of the past few years), Torres feels — kind of like Cole Escola and Chris Fleming — like a cause for hope in our mostly terrorizing present.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
Our fish farm worked beautifully right up until the NewCoral molted, growing fins and fangs and one rocky fin, terrorizing the coastline and hunting the NewFish almost to NewExtinction.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
At the outset of this meditative novel, a pair of out-of-work twins who are haunted by their parents’ histories as thieves and killers decide to go on a hunt for a puma that is terrorizing farmers and livestock in the highlands of Tasmania.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Here's what really happened, including who was secretly terrorizing Lauryn and Owen.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Investigators would soon discover a disturbing truth that Daniel had been impersonating a boyfriend Kristil had as a teenager for months, terrorizing his own family before ultimately killing his wife.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025
Each one of those alerts puts millions of lives on hold – part of Russia’s strategy of terrorizing and exhausting Ukraine’s civilian population.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, who joins the ancient Demon Slayer Corps after seeing his family killed by the man-eating demons terrorizing 20th-century Taishō-era Japan.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
Known for Los Espookys, Fantasmas, and Problemista (along with some of SNL’s funnier and kookier bits of the past few years), Torres feels — kind of like Cole Escola and Chris Fleming — like a cause for hope in our mostly terrorizing present.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
Our fish farm worked beautifully right up until the NewCoral molted, growing fins and fangs and one rocky fin, terrorizing the coastline and hunting the NewFish almost to NewExtinction.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
At the outset of this meditative novel, a pair of out-of-work twins who are haunted by their parents’ histories as thieves and killers decide to go on a hunt for a puma that is terrorizing farmers and livestock in the highlands of Tasmania.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Here's what really happened, including who was secretly terrorizing Lauryn and Owen.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorizing
Verb
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The modus operandi generally involved either scaring a convenience store owner and fleeing with thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes, like one such incident at a 7-Eleven in Walnut Creek where masked men stole $8,000 in tobacco products, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
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During today’s announcement, Kennedy at least acknowledged the trade-offs inherent in scaring pregnant Americans off Tylenol, and allowed that, sometimes, using it is unavoidable.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The game is twisted, disturbing, and terrifying in all the right ways.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
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On the same day, 100 cyclists, e-bike and dirt bike riders took over a Boston highway, terrifying local drivers.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a follow-up video, the owner revealed a gentle method for waking the puppy without startling her.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrorizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorizing. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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