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.

The risk of similar consequences might be enough to frighten off many providers.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 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

“I just thought,” he added, “if she was meaning any harm to Lyra, it might frighten her a bit.”

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman