scare 1 of 2

verb

ˈsker How to pronounce scare (audio)
Definition of scarenext
as in to frighten
to strike with fear thunderstorms have always scared her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scare

2 of 2

noun

as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger fired over their heads in order to throw a scare into them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of scare
Verb
In a game that looked lopsided for the better part of three quarters, the Chargers did enough Sunday to scare the defending Super Bowl champions. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Mogwai, who would make their debut the year after Beat was released and with whom Bowery Electric would share a bill, would crouch in similarly unassuming and tense postures and use them to spring out and scare the bejeezus out of people. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
Season 5 followed Clarkson as he was diagnosed with cancer and suffered a heart scare. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026 Police bodycam footage, obtained by TMZ, revealed the family was fighting over a recent health scare involving Milania. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scare
  1. frighten
  2. fear
  3. terrify
  4. anxiety
  5. startle
  6. panic
Verb
  • Families confronting a devastating diagnosis may already be frightened, grieving and overwhelmed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But Cardinale acknowledged layoffs would be part of the cost-cuts, a prospect that frightened many in Hollywood after endless waves of job cuts at the two companies.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of frighten
Noun
  • Residents say Ethiopian federal forces retook Mekelle’s airport from Tigrayan fighters, but communications blackouts and fear of reprisals have left unclear who controls Tigray’s capital city.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The book offers creative ways to manage fear and negativity — like pretend-flushing your mistakes down the toilet — before, during and after a high-stakes task.
    — Lennon Sherburne, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of fear
Verb
  • For years, Democratic candidates were terrified of being accused of wanting to raise taxes.
    — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Marris was terrified for her daughter and furious with herself.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrify
Noun
  • And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This can help decrease anxiety and increase confidence by removing the pressure of one ideal performance and shifting focus to the present moment.
    — Lennon Sherburne, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Verb
  • To build a stealthy ocean-monitoring platform for the Office of Naval Research, Professor Shepherd needed a propulsion system that would not startle marine life.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
  • As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of startle
Noun
  • The aircraft plunged thousands of feet in two minutes, causing panic and forcing the flight to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • After roughly two days of investigation, police informed the public the entire panic was driven by a hoax.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of panic

Phrases Containing scare

Browse Nearby Words

scarcity
scare
scared
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scare. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All