1
as in demon
a source of persistent emotional distress
after the death of her father, fear of developing cancer became one of the terrors of her life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
the reports of a serial killer on the loose struck terror into our hearts
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 terror
The documentary unfolds in real time just days after the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023 when an Israeli American woman, Liat Beinin Atzili, was seized at a kibbutz and spirited off to Gaza.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2026
The terror started on Halloween.
—Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
The radical shifts in France — regicide, the Committee of Public Safety’s terror, and expansionist campaigns — dissolved the moral and practical basis for the alliance.
—Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Trump joined Israel in dismantling Gaza and the Hamas terror network ― a worthy mission ― but then crafted a plan that would put himself in charge of rebuilding and governing the Palestinian territory and commit American troops to keeping order.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terror
Noun
-
Nas sounds hungry again, his dense, circular writing a tangle of flashbacks and evocative images of preachers rebuking demons and Yoda smoking blunts.—
-
With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground.—
Noun
-
A lot of people get drawn into the fear, distracted by the thoughts in their head.—
-
Many immigrant customers haven’t returned, while five of his former employees, despite having working papers, left Charlotte permanently out of fear.—
Noun
-
Scream With Me expands on this argument with its analysis of The Exorcist, a movie that Johnson interprets as a parable about physical abuse; its male demon torments and beats a single working mother and her child.—
-
Jeremy Allen White, who always seems to do inchoate torment so well, makes a fine Springsteen.—
Noun
-
Somehow, this new sensation emitted an awareness of the magnitude in which skateboarding would warp my life, which only ratcheted up the anxiety of blowing it.—
-
The news this week that an ICE agent had shot and killed a woman in Minnesota heightened his anxiety.—
Noun
-
That last reassuring prediction lowered my dread meter enough to consider the Connecticut homegrown disruptive events that will require attention but do not threaten annihilation.—
-
For many Venezuelans in Austin, news that United States forces had captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed with a mix of relief and dread.—
Noun
-
Witnesses described scenes of panic as flames spread rapidly through the basement level before engulfing the upper floor.—
-
Kaitlin spent the first weeks of her newborn son’s life in a panic.—
Cite this Entry
“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terror. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share