panic attack

NOUN

anxiety attack

Synonyms

STRONGEST

spasm

WEAK

fit of terror panic panic disorder scare

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.

Shear says he first began his original screenplay with an image of a young man having a panic attack in the self-help section of a bookshop and grew the script from there.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Irish filmmaker John Kelly, who specializes in animation, had a panic attack on an airplane while going through endless flagged emails.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

At one point the immersion in words triggered a panic attack, “like I was hearing voices.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Now a bigger fan than ever, Amanda jokes that the famous theme song makes her have a "little panic attack" at the thought of it happening again.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

I was seconds away from what was sure to be an impressive panic attack when Regan snapped her head up.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin