as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences
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Recent Examples of horrify
The declining judge is horrified by all this and takes him on, but a jaded staff basically just tries to keep order rather than taking Crealy’s behavior seriously.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
Paul Cotter recalls that his father was horrified by the diagnosis.
—Laura Kwerel, NPR, 3 Mar. 2025
Image The positive response has horrified many Americans who were shocked by the brutality of the crime of which Mr. Mangione is accused: assassinating Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, in Manhattan.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Rosen said the brutality of the massacre, combined with the testimony of Thompson and the other women who were assaulted, horrified the nation.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrify
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
Paul Cotter recalls that his father was horrified by the diagnosis.
—Laura Kwerel, NPR, 3 Mar. 2025
Image The positive response has horrified many Americans who were shocked by the brutality of the crime of which Mr. Mangione is accused: assassinating Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, in Manhattan.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Rosen said the brutality of the massacre, combined with the testimony of Thompson and the other women who were assaulted, horrified the nation.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrify
Verb
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Seeing those kinds of numbers in headlines may have started to frighten U.S. consumers, data shows.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Mar. 2025
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While full autonomy may frighten many, most drivers do still want automakers to focus on safety tech.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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No matter what your views are on Israel & Palestine, we should all be terrified of a government incarcerating its residents for their political opinions.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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Carolina Waterfowl Rescue has a history of rescuing snakes from predicaments in the region, including the venomous species that seem to terrify the public.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Higher prices and looming economic uncertainty could scare off consumers, experts previously told ABC News.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2025
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Mozer yelled out of his apartment window, scaring Moseley off.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Lilian, startled, looked around at the door, and that made the sisters laugh: Lilian, too, was tricked, just like the hedgehog.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
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Homelessness and trauma can cause people to startle reflexively when touched, Greig says, part of the reason the site’s staff offers hugs to clients and encourages them to call family.—
Ian Willms,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrify. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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