Reign of Terror

American  

noun

1. a period of the French Revolution, from about March, 1793, to July, 1794, during which many persons were ruthlessly executed by the ruling faction.

2. (lowercase) any period or situation of ruthless administration or oppression.

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Reign of Terror British  

noun

1. the period of Jacobin rule during the French Revolution, during which thousands of people were executed for treason (Oct 1793–July 1794)

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Reign of Terror Cultural  

1. A phase of the French Revolution aimed at destroying all alleged pockets of resistance to the revolution. Robespierre was a leader of the Terror, during which thousands were sent to the guillotine.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Reign of Terror

And Sydney—after schemes, escapes and sacrifices—is set up for the most famous fictional moment in the Reign of Terror.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

They’re currently hitting smaller home haunts across the city, but Silva says, if you go to just one this season, make it Reign of Terror.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025

The agency conducted a sprawling investigation that culminated in the arrests of three of Brown’s relatives, including her brother-in-law, Ernest Burkhart, bringing an end to what the Osage called the Reign of Terror.

From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2023

The FBI deemed that the Reign of Terror also lasted only five years in the '20s when in reality it had lasted about two decades.

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2023

Less than three months later, on July 27, Robespierre himself was dispatched in the same way and in the same place, and the Reign of Terror swiftly ended.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

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