as in demons
a source of persistent emotional distress
after the death of her father, fear of developing cancer became one of the terrors of her life
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Recent Examples of terrors
The lustrous surfaces hide moral horrors, silence emotional terrors, and block out the filth beyond their boundaries.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
What better way to avoid the terrors of Dry January than by sneaking yourself into the cozy snug of The Pub, a compendium of Britain’s quintessential third space.
—Air Mail, 3 Jan. 2026
At scale, migrants and their descendants recreate the conditions and terrors of their broken homelands.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
That’s one of the many emerging terrors of our brave new funhouse-mirror dystopia of e-scams, cat-phishing, and democracy-destroying propaganda.
—New Atlas, 15 Nov. 2025
If scientists can detect these signatures early, extreme waves may change from unpredictable terrors into forecastable hazards.
—Avery Schuyler Nunn, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2025
As with many of A24's horror movies, we're left to ponder whether anything supernatural happens as Maud's quest reaches its apotheosis, proving that fanatical belief is enough to inspire great terrors.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
The internet gives us more opportunity to be exposed to noteworthy terrors from other countries.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
This beautiful stop-motion spectacle is a darker rendition than is typical of Pinocchio stories, putting the beloved puppet in a dangerous Italy with fascism on the rise and the very real terrors of the adult world all around him.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
What better way to avoid the terrors of Dry January than by sneaking yourself into the cozy snug of The Pub, a compendium of Britain’s quintessential third space.
—Air Mail, 3 Jan. 2026
At scale, migrants and their descendants recreate the conditions and terrors of their broken homelands.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
That’s one of the many emerging terrors of our brave new funhouse-mirror dystopia of e-scams, cat-phishing, and democracy-destroying propaganda.
—New Atlas, 15 Nov. 2025
If scientists can detect these signatures early, extreme waves may change from unpredictable terrors into forecastable hazards.
—Avery Schuyler Nunn, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2025
As with many of A24's horror movies, we're left to ponder whether anything supernatural happens as Maud's quest reaches its apotheosis, proving that fanatical belief is enough to inspire great terrors.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
The internet gives us more opportunity to be exposed to noteworthy terrors from other countries.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
This beautiful stop-motion spectacle is a darker rendition than is typical of Pinocchio stories, putting the beloved puppet in a dangerous Italy with fascism on the rise and the very real terrors of the adult world all around him.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrors
Noun
-
Directed by Joel Thompson, the centuries-old tale of demons, magic spells and a deal with the devil is brought to life with special effects and theatrical stage haze.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Liberato was forced to stop and wrestle with inner demons that even a dose of magic mushrooms couldn’t tamp down.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The author delves into the torments PTSD causes Vietnam veterans as well as family dynamics.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Hell is nevertheless filled with bloody and horrific torments.—
Claudia Roth Pierpont,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrors. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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