psyching (out)

verb

present participle of psych (out)
as in frightening

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for psyching (out)
  1. frightening
  2. terrifying
  3. intimidating
  4. scaring
  5. terrorizing
  6. softening
  7. sapping
  8. wasting
Verb
  • Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 June 2026
  • This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.
    — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • Though privacy concerns around these agents’ access may be terrifying in their own right, for now the utopian vision seems to be winning.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Douglas is unflinching in the book about how physically abusive and terrifying his dad was to him and his brother.
    — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • It’s long been intimidating for immigrants who suffered abuse to call 911, regardless of who was in the White House.
    — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • And while cracking open an iPod will never not be intimidating, at least the Sprout doesn’t require any soldering.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Verb
  • Such actions are scaring people away from coming to court, whether as witnesses, defendants or observers, Bonta said, and amount to a blatant abuse of power.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Longhorns aren't scaring anyone on offense and Sarkisian has come under fire for his play calling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of scaring
Verb
  • Together the groups protested Austin FC’s refusal to take a stance against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids terrorizing the city’s sizable immigrant community.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In The Babysitter, desperate to earn enough money for a prestigious writing program, 16-year-old Jenny takes a babysitting job despite a prowler terrorizing girls across town.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrorizing
Verb
  • On that topic of change, McIlroy began softening his stance about LIV players returning to the PGA Tour months ago.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The milestone arrives at a precarious time for Australia’s festival sector, which has seen a wave of cancellations and closures in recent years amid rising costs and softening ticket sales.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • Partita takes a poem that vibrates with political energy and domesticates it, sapping this very famous verse of its revolutionary bite.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Stubbornly high inflation has been sapping consumer confidence and pressuring the Fed, which recently raised its benchmark interest rate in an effort to cool prices.
    — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sapping
Verb
  • Advertisement Buy portions that match your appetite Throwing away part of a chicken breast means wasting more than dinner.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Chronicling the hyper-niche behaviors that define our online existence, Berlant describes the seemingly inescapable embarrassment of wasting one’s life away in an endless scroll.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of wasting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

psychics
psyching (out)
psyching (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Psyching (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psyching%20%28out%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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