spooked 1 of 2

adjective

as in frightened
filled with fear or dread Ichabod Crane was so spooked that he left Sleepy Hollow for good

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spooked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of spook
as in scared
to strike with fear the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin

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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 spooked
Adjective
The movie has since become an unexplainable piece of comfort for a spooked generation. — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Know what would make Whitney less spooked? — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 June 2026 The Grammy Award-winning superstar took to Instagram to share her experience, which left her spooked and unable to sleep. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Shares in the wireless carrier have dropped nearly 16% over the past month as potential competition from StarLink, a SpaceX division, spooked investors . — Nick Wells, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 Did traffickers hastily ditch their extremely valuable cargo, maybe after being spooked by nearby patrols? — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 It’s spooked the worlds of corporate and art alike, especially after months of headlines over the potentially world-ending nature of AI models and warnings that progress needs to be paced. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 Firms in Riyadh were telling their employees to work from home tomorrow, and people have been spooked for weeks. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2026 The mustang had been roaming near Liberty Reservoir after he was spooked by a lawnmower and jumped over a fence at the end of June. — Cbs Baltimore, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 The launch of Kimi-K3 in 2026 spooked them in much the same way. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026 Perhaps no politician was more instrumental than California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is said to have been spooked by the threat by Paramount to leave, and a recognition that Hollywood was hurting. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 Alexis sees this, gets spooked, and goes and tells Linnea and Sharonda that Ana is gunning for them. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooked
  1. frightened
  2. scared
  3. terrified
  4. startled
  5. afraid
  6. horrified
  7. alarmed
  8. shocked
Adjective
  • Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightened
Verb
  • Then, after his shoulder injury scared off Miami, New Orleans landed a quarterback entering his prime.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Elmore says the bear eventually climbed down the side of the truck, and employees scared it away from the area.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Even after the attacker was restrained, passengers remained terrified.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This kind of conversation always leaves me half-amused, half-terrified.
    — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrified
Verb
  • However, startled by the activation of the security system, the suspect fled the scene without stealing any loot.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Their approach startled the predator, who took off with the mother godwit in its claws.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of startled
Adjective
  • Opt for a dark wash without rips and frays to keep the look streamlined, but don't be afraid to play with proportions and have fun with patterns and texture.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Measure What Customers Do After The Test Pick five to eight people who already trust you and aren’t afraid to tell you the truth.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Gomez, 67, recalled, watching as responding officers pulled a horrified boy from the car.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrified
Adjective
  • Sacramento City Unified School District’s multiyear projections to address its fiscal crisis relied on revenue assumptions that alarmed fiscal overseers.
    — Chaewon Chung Updated October 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Annual interest expenses will be well over $6 billion, a level that has alarmed deal critics.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • When people hear of their upstairs-downstairs arrangement, no one is shocked.
    — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Garret said the community as a whole was supportive of their decision to protest, even if their team was a little shocked at first.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocked

Browse Nearby Words

spook
spooked
spooking
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Cite this Entry

“Spooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooked. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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