run scared

1. Become intimidated or frightened. For example, The polls don't look too good for our candidate and he's running scared, or The shrinking market has many businesses running scared. [Mid-1900s]

Related Words

• anxious 
• apprehensive 
• discouraged 
• distressed 
• fearful 
• frightened 
• horrified 
• intimidated 
• nervous 
• perplexed 
• perturbed 
• scared 
• shocked www.thesaurus.com
• spooked www.thesaurus.com
• startled 
• timid