for fear of

idiom

: due to being afraid of
He won't say anything for fear of losing his job.

Examples of for fear of in a Sentence

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This belief can lead to overworking, perfectionism and avoiding opportunities for fear of failure. Shay Levister, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 The resulting atmosphere of mistrust can leave immigrants afraid to report crimes or seek help in dangerous situations for fear of deportation. Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024 This is the kind of honest, human moment that the average political documentary might resist, for fear of muddying an otherwise clear-eyed perspective, or even showing the filmmakers themselves having conflicted feelings, especially towards each other. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024 And the felony disenfranchisement laws are so confusing in many states that some voters who are actually eligible are chided from voting for fear of violating the law. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for for fear of 

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Cite this Entry

“For fear of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20fear%20of. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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