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
  • Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is breathtaking and also terrifying with a 4-year-old along.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 May 2026
  • Facing the endless Cylon onslaught in the void of space is terrifying even in 2D battles, but many of Scattered Hopes' gut punches happen during unexpected narrative events or tough choices that doom entire ship populations.
    — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • The masks are often vibrant and colorful but sometimes intimidating, depicting superheroes, animals or other symbolic figures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • Superior Court Judge Alex Manning issued the order June 15 prohibiting the county’s top administrator from getting close to Amit Mehrotra, a neighbor in the Ellard subdivision in Roswell, and from harassing or intimidating Mehrotra or his family.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of intimidating
Verb
  • Suddenly the seller is tiptoeing, managing the buyer's mood, terrified of saying the wrong thing and scaring them off.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • Two earthquakes jolted Venezuela with one-two punch on Wednesday, damaging buildings and scaring people who felt the violent shaking.
    — Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
Definition of scaring
Verb
  • Witt claimed that Golubski — who in 2024 faced trial for allegations including terrorizing and abusing Black women in KCK for decades before killing himself the day it was scheduled to begin — also abused her late cousin, Elaine Greene.
    — Sofi Zeman July 2, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • The clip ultimately evolved into a lo-fi vision of the Rapture, complete with giant flaming hands terrorizing the band.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 30 June 2026
Definition of terrorizing
Verb
  • The ingredient list includes avocado, which is rich in fats and helps boost flexibility—thereby helping to prevent breakage—as well as sweet almond oil and shea butter for moisturizing and softening.
    — Eden Stuart, Glamour, 7 July 2026
  • In addition to softening and romanticizing looks, these bottoms are extremely comfortable.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • To be clear, government spending is the biggest, most economy-sapping tax of all.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • With the World Cup kickoff just over a week away, climate scientists are warning that heat could be an invisible opponent, slowing play at open-air venues like Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), sapping players’ legs and testing fans in sweltering conditions.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Definition of sapping
Verb
  • Once again, no one is here for the play-acting, the time-wasting, the cheating.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Rather than simply reducing power use across the board, the system attempts to identify exactly when machinery is wasting energy and proposes operational changes that can reduce consumption without disrupting productivity.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 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 9 Jul. 2026.

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