reign of terror

noun phrase

: a state or a period of time marked by violence often committed by those in power that produces widespread terror

Examples of reign of terror in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web No shots were fired, but Bennett’s reign of terror ended that day. Jack Kresnak, Detroit Free Press, 28 Jan. 2024 Flitting through realities, Kirby and Dan race to end the killer's reign of terror in a series that masterfully blends together sci-fi, horror, and feminist drama. Jace Lacob, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2023 Some of them were central to my book and research, and many of them are descendants of people who were killed during the Osage reign of terror. EW.com, 3 Nov. 2023 There’s no spotlight on heroes or final girls here, only the glimpses and whispers of those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the path of Johnny’s reign of terror. William Earl, Variety, 18 Jan. 2024 In the film, her character’s family was murdered in a reign of terror in which the Osage were targeted for the headrights to their oil-rich land in Oklahoma. Jonathan Landrum Jr., Fortune, 8 Jan. 2024 While there, news emerged of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s secret speech denouncing Joseph Stalin’s reign of terror. Joy Dong, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2023 Priscilla Perkins, co-president of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation, a nonprofit based in Jackson, Miss., that promotes racial reconciliation, said the Goon Squad’s acts reminded her of the reign of terror against civil rights activists that often involved law enforcement officers. Nate Rosenfield Rory Doyle For The New York Times, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023 For the past two years, Haiti has experienced a reign of terror as rival outlaw bands battle in the streets of the capital with American assault rifles. Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reign of terror.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Reign of Terror, a period of the French Revolution that was conspicuous for mass executions of political suspects

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reign of terror was in 1784

Dictionary Entries Near reign of terror

Cite this Entry

“Reign of terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign%20of%20terror. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reign of terror

: a period marked by violence that is often carried out by those in power and produces terror among the people involved

More from Merriam-Webster on reign of terror

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