take fright

idiom

: to suddenly become afraid
I approached very slowly, but the hawk took fright and flew away.
Investors took fright at the news and pulled their money.

Examples of take fright in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That inflationary hit could be compounded if investors take fright and sell the pound, putting additional upward pressure on import costs. Joe Mayes, Bloomberg.com, 16 Oct. 2020

Dictionary Entries Near take fright

Cite this Entry

“Take fright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20fright. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!