as in terrifying
causing fear
an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also alaruming
1
as in frightening
to strike with fear
I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of alarming
NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Elordi's version of the mad scientist's monster boasts pale skin covered in scars, an alarming absence of eyebrows, and ratty dark hair extending past his shoulders.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
Bond yields leaking higher since the Fed cut rates a quarter-point on Wednesday is not atypical, and — so far — is not alarming equity markets, inflation watchdogs or fiscal hawks.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Adjective
Mohammadi uses drones to capture both beautiful and alarming environmental scenes.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Elordi's version of the mad scientist's monster boasts pale skin covered in scars, an alarming absence of eyebrows, and ratty dark hair extending past his shoulders.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
But also alarming is that government officials don’t seem to take seriously the need to justify the reasons for their use of force, which should only be wielded to protect the rights of Americans.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
Bond yields leaking higher since the Fed cut rates a quarter-point on Wednesday is not atypical, and — so far — is not alarming equity markets, inflation watchdogs or fiscal hawks.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarming
Adjective
-
Kim's direction is bold and stylish, and the supernatural scenes are terrifying, embodying the finest that Korean horror has to offer.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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By the time it was all set up, the whole cold, disintegrating place was threaded with lights and lines, flickering everywhere, black and red, the sheer quantity somehow terrifying and embracing at once.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kids will love sending this Dilophosaurus sauntering across the floor, frightening everything and everyone in his path.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This allows Ukrainian soldiers to conduct bold exploratory missions deep into the territory now controlled by Russia while not worrying about losing their Starlink signal.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Is there a health issue that's worrying you?—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The truth can be far more haunting than any scary story.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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The movie adaptation was terrifying, but the creepy atmospheric tension in the novel is even scarier.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The government must refinance without scaring off investors or triggering default.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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Playing on parental fears, The Babadook has been scaring the daylights out of us for a solid decade now.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mesidor has formed a formidable one-two punch on the Hurricanes’ defensive line with Rueben Bain Jr.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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Jazz In recent years, the pianist Vijay Iyer and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey, defining composers and leaders of contemporary jazz, have become one of its most formidable pairings.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its mid-rise Harlow jeans are composed of a cotton and elastane blend, with a powder-blue hue and strategic hints of distressing down the leg.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The New York Jets’ Sunday began with a horrible loss, as legendary center Nick Mangold passed away after a long battle with kidney disease.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Šilovs did, however, look horrible in the shootout.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarming. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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