terrorize

verb

ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
terrorized; terrorizing

transitive verb

1
: to fill with terror or anxiety : scare
2
: to coerce by threat or violence
terrorization noun

Examples of terrorize in a Sentence

As a child she terrorized her younger siblings. She was terrorized by nightmares. Employees were terrorized into accepting abysmal working conditions.
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.
The number of Haitians forced to flee their homes by terrorizing armed gangs has now hit nearly 1.3 million, the United Nations International Organization for Migration said Wednesday. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025 Two armed crooks posing as Amazon deliverymen raided a Queens home, terrorizing a family of five including two small children, police said Tuesday. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 10 June 2025 Built specifically to house the gang members that terrorized this country, the prison is spartan as a space station, grim as a gulag. Philip Holsinger, Time, 10 June 2025 An immigration judge had determined that Abrego Garcia would likely face persecution there by local gangs that had allegedly terrorized him and his family. Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for terrorize

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrorize was in 1823

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorize. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

terrorize

verb
ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
terrorized; terrorizing
1
: to fill with terror
2
: to force by threat or violence
terrorization noun

Legal Definition

terrorize

transitive verb
ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
terrorized; terrorizing
: to inflict terror upon
terrorization noun

More from Merriam-Webster on terrorize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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