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fearmonger

American  
[feer-mahng-ger, feer-muhng-ger] / ˈfɪərˌmɑŋ gər, ˈfɪərˌmʌŋ gər /

noun

plural

fearmongers
  1. someone who tries to make people fearful or anxious as a means of manipulating them.


verb (used without object)

  1. to try to make people fearful or anxious as a means of manipulating them.

Other Word Forms

  • fearmongering noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Singling out Sharia law feels like it’s just an attempt to kind of fearmonger against Muslims and Islamic religious practices,” Sinnar said.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

“It is unfair and unjust for the San Francisco District Attorney and the federal government to fearmonger and exploit this young man’s vulnerability simply due to the high-profile status of the people involved,” Ward said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

And we need to inspire rather than fearmonger.

From Washington Post • May 3, 2022

“You don’t want to fearmonger, but this is part of planning,” Gronvall said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2022

“I can’t speak with authority that it is definitely dangerous to go to see a movie, and I don’t want to fearmonger that way either,” said Chen.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2022