frighten

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nine countries, at any time, could use their Persian and Oman Gulf shoreline to frighten risk-averse captains and insurers from using the strait.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

But it does hint strongly at extraterrestrial visitors being revealed to humankind with a tagline: "If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?"

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025

Johnson had hoped that running noisy appliances — the dishwasher and the laundry spin cycle — would scare the bear away, but all the noise managed to do was frighten his cat.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

Sanctions still hurt the targeted country, but they no longer frighten the market, especially if loosely enforced.

From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025

The way the Sibyl thought it necessary to start was calculated to frighten any but the boldest.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton