as in to scare
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frighten
Schrader’s take on the landmark horror franchise was to strongly emphasize its theological foundation and to eschew the traditional jump scares, a choice that frightened Morgan Creek Productions, which initially shelved the film over concerns about its commercial viability.
—
Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
In the mid-20th century, community spaces like swimming pools and sporting events became a source of anxiety for parents who were frightened by the rampant spread of poliovirus.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025
Stepping out from a white van, the Israeli civilian looked gaunt and frightened.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025
Julie Contreras, who is a pastor and part of United Giving Hope, a longtime immigration rights advocacy organization, said her time in church Sunday was spent comforting parishioners who were frightened by the ICE activity.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for frighten 
Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
In the mid-20th century, community spaces like swimming pools and sporting events became a source of anxiety for parents who were frightened by the rampant spread of poliovirus.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025
Stepping out from a white van, the Israeli civilian looked gaunt and frightened.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025
Julie Contreras, who is a pastor and part of United Giving Hope, a longtime immigration rights advocacy organization, said her time in church Sunday was spent comforting parishioners who were frightened by the ICE activity.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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His limited resume and the fact he’s spent more time in the box than on the edge also might scare teams, which means Walker’s potential draft range could be rather large.—
Nick Baumgardner,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
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That's one week after Borderlands 4 and just in time to scare everyone (hopefully) during the all-spooky Halloween season.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But Marcel arrived terrified, hiding in the bathroom and refusing to move or be touched.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
3 Feb. 2025
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Instead of a confetti bomb going off, someone turns on the fog/smoke machine, terrifying all of the little pups into relieving themselves everywhere in fear.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The shocking roar of a vehicle’s engine can startle wildlife.—
Alexandra Owens,
AFAR Media,
10 Feb. 2025
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Jo explained that people with frequent views of auroras tended to draw more positive conclusions about them than those who may have been startled by the sight of them.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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He was reinstated five days later, but Mr. Nadella was spooked and decided not to put in the money for Stargate.—
Cecilia Kang,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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The meeting comes on the heels of a new Chinese artificial intelligence site that has roiled financial markets in the U.S. and spooked the tech sector.—
Olivia Rinaldi,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near frighten
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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