as in to frighten
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
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Recent Examples of terrorize
That movie, about a scrappy punk band terrorized by white supremacists, was the coolest action movie in ages—and the audience knew it.
—
Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024
It was said to be inspired by the fearsome machines that both terrorized and protected soldiers, the vertical sidebars were meant to mimic the treads on the side of the cockpit of a tank.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2024
Maybe Ian will come back and terrorize the sisters again.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2024
The violent gang, which has been terrorizing neighborhoods across the country, is now operating in 16 states, according to a new Department of Homeland Security memo cited by the New York Post.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorize 
Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024
It was said to be inspired by the fearsome machines that both terrorized and protected soldiers, the vertical sidebars were meant to mimic the treads on the side of the cockpit of a tank.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2024
Maybe Ian will come back and terrorize the sisters again.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2024
The violent gang, which has been terrorizing neighborhoods across the country, is now operating in 16 states, according to a new Department of Homeland Security memo cited by the New York Post.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorize
Verb
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Marina, frightened, fled the spa, almost leaving behind her shirt, and spent the next hour looking over her shoulder to see whether the woman had, in fact, called someone.—
Keith Gessen,
The New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2025
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Some frightened residents even abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the engulfing blaze.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA TODAY,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Even in an off-year, Mahomes still scares the heck out of me as a Bills’ fan.—
Harry Enten,
CNN,
11 Jan. 2025
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Consider the teams that might have been scared away by that kind of uncertainty.—
Grant Brisbee,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And Rob is very much a sort of cat among pigeons — everyone's terrified of him.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
10 Jan. 2025
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She was terrified because her cat was in the house.—
Claire Hoffman,
Rolling Stone,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The 72-year-old was startled awake about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday by his landlord banging on his door.—
Ben Poston,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2025
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The warning prompted a flood of social media posts from residents startled awake by emergency alerts.—
Stephan Pechdimaldji,
Newsweek,
15 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near terrorize
Cite this Entry
“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorize. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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