fearmongering

American  

[feer-mahng-ger-ing] / ˈfɪərˌmɑŋ gər ɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice or strategy of trying to make people fearful or anxious as a means of manipulating them.

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adjective

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

Example Sentences

Early in the reign of social media, Messing said, there was much fearmongering about how these digital platforms spelled the death of reading.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Private-fund managers, including Blackstone, Apollo Global Management and Blue Owl, have blamed fearmongering about a recent spate of corporate bankruptcies, like that of automotive supplier First Brands, for the surge of withdrawals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

The UK's National Autistic Society, which represents autistic people and their families, criticised him for spreading misinformation and "fearmongering".

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jason L. Riley boosted tweets from an NBC reporter that offered historical context for the fearmongering: reports of racists in the 1980s who similarly weaponized unfounded pet-eating claims against refugees.

From Slate • Sep. 25, 2024

No one is more susceptible to an expert’s fearmongering than a parent.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt