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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Recent Examples of frighten
Bob Wieting Simi Valley :: In order to frighten their parents, for Halloween kids in New York wore Freddie Freeman costumes.
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Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Even Hulu’s Rivals could frighten you with the depths of its amorous characters’ depravity.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Others rely on odor, such as predator urine, that frightens them away from the area or a bad smell from rotten eggs that simply discourages them.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2024
These are behaviors by a spouse, partner or loved one that are meant to control, isolate or frighten.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frighten 
Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Even Hulu’s Rivals could frighten you with the depths of its amorous characters’ depravity.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Others rely on odor, such as predator urine, that frightens them away from the area or a bad smell from rotten eggs that simply discourages them.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2024
These are behaviors by a spouse, partner or loved one that are meant to control, isolate or frighten.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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In their colorful garb, participants move to the sounds of drums and loud music meant to both honor the ancestors and scare away lingering spirits.Sasha C. Wells / Made by History, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
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Today in Colorado and across the West the boogeyman used to scare us into cutting down forests is the natural and essential process of wildfire.Josh Schlossberg, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
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There’s a story about a packet of Skittles causing humiliation in the airport, and an engrossing tale about an unintentionally terrifying Peppa Pig performance at a children’s party.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
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My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Officers sent a drone through the broken window for a better view, startling Moore and prompting him to drive to a Walgreens parking lot where he was taken into custody, police said.Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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Keep the door pinned open initially to avoid startling them.Lucy Notarantonio, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Friday the 13th didn’t spook investors with U.S. stocks little changed on the day as investors bided time until the Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday.Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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Investors were spooked earlier this year when analysts hypothesized Musk would step away if his massive compensation package was struck down.William Gavin, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near frighten
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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