as in to bully
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intimidate
Their small size is a big plus for anyone who values convenience and discretion, and who feels intimidated by larger toys.
—
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 27 Feb. 2025
Remember when facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge used to be an intimidating prospect?
—Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Many liberal institutions and individuals played their part in the doctrine’s death, either by actively supporting Israel or by allowing themselves to be intimidated into silence—and in many cases, by engaging in the repression or expulsion of colleagues who have had the courage to protest.
—Anatol Lieven, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
He's not intimidated by operating in the shadow of such giants.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidate
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 27 Feb. 2025
Remember when facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge used to be an intimidating prospect?
—Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Many liberal institutions and individuals played their part in the doctrine’s death, either by actively supporting Israel or by allowing themselves to be intimidated into silence—and in many cases, by engaging in the repression or expulsion of colleagues who have had the courage to protest.
—Anatol Lieven, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
He's not intimidated by operating in the shadow of such giants.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidate
Verb
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While being black or white may not be inherent to Snape’s character, Potter fans note that this will set up situations like James Potter bullying a young black kid in the ‘70s which are certainly not good optics and totally change the dynamics of the James/Lily/Snape storyline.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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The claims range from a prosecutor addressing an attorney by her first name and interfering with witnesses during depositions, to allegations that prosecutors withheld evidence, bullied a witness and engaged in selective prosecution of a mother whose son was shot and killed by police.—
Brittany Wallman,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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On the streets, conservative protesters, frightened that the left could win the next election, have rallied to Yoon.—
ROBERT E. KELLY,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2025
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That frightened stray kitten forgot her fears and moved up on that ball of paper and batted it across the floor and then batted it again.—
Carole Wendt,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, a bear barged into a bakery in Avon, scared employees and helped itself to 60 cupcakes before ambling away.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
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Wise infuses a nurturing maturity and vulnerability in Nicole that scares Roger, and challenges him to confront his unhealthy relationship habits and general indecisiveness.—
Morgan A. Grain,
Essence,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s rocky relationship with Zelensky goes back five years—to when Trump first held up military assistance Congress had authorized for Ukraine to coerce Zelensky into investigating his political rival Joe Biden.—
Brian Bennett,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
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A week later, the White House used the threat of tariffs to coerce Mexico into dispatching thousands of additional troops along the U.S.-Mexico border to combat fentanyl smuggling.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Lilian, startled, looked around at the door, and that made the sisters laugh: Lilian, too, was tricked, just like the hedgehog.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
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Homelessness and trauma can cause people to startle reflexively when touched, Greig says, part of the reason the site’s staff offers hugs to clients and encourages them to call family.—
Ian Willms,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Trump has also browbeaten Mark Zuckerberg into dumping content moderation and fact-checking from Facebook, Instagram and any other Meta properties, as well as dumping on the journalists who do the fact checking in the first place.—
Amanda Castro,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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Trump’s brazen and often distasteful behavior revealed a bald truth: U.S. allies will put up with more capriciousness, browbeating, and neglect than anyone expected.—
Robert E. Kelly,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Feb. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Intimidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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