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.

On the main stage, May Habib, chief executive of an AI platform called Writer, told the audience that Fortune 500 bosses are having a "collective panic attack" on the subject.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 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

Equities fell again on the bad news, but none of this is a cause for a panic attack.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Being made to do something triggers a reaction, which can be a panic attack or meltdown or potentially aggression.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

I had a panic attack on the way home last night.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins