panic
noun
a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.
were panicking
-
past progressiveof panic.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
"People were panicking, running here and there. We're evacuating for the time being... and trying to get to the hills," he said, adding: "My family is safe. No one was harmed."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
“There was a salt era, where people were panicking about sodium content,” Lev Sercarz said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Ms. al-Kurd said that people in Rafah were panicking and considered evacuating during the night, but “no one knew where to even go.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
It was Kajoli, Ansar and Samira’s boat — their engine was broken, water was seeping in and the passengers were panicking.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
The horses were drenched, and some were panicking and slipping in the mud.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
