scare into
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words
To frighten someone so much that they agree to do something they might not want to do.
Literal meaning: To frighten someone into a state or action — partially transparent.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To use fear or intimidation to compel someone to do something.
"The landlord tried to scare the tenants into leaving by making false claims about the building."
Grammar: inseparable
2 B2
idiomatic
neutral
To use alarming information or warnings to push someone into taking an action.
"The doctor didn't want to scare patients into making hasty decisions about surgery."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Always followed by a gerund or noun phrase (e.g., 'scare someone into signing', 'scare into submission'). Implies coercion and often carries a negative, critical tone about the person doing the scaring.
Commonly used with
compliance submission signing silence confession action
Forms
Base
scare into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
scares into
he/she/it
Past simple
scared into
yesterday
Past participle
scared into
have + pp
-ing form
scaring into
continuous
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