1
: an act or instance of freaking out
2
: a gathering of hippies

Examples of freak-out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What follows is a melee of pratfalls and freak-outs, a guffaw-worthy display by such a fine group of actors. Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 May 2025 Expect multiple scenes of the characters engaging in psychedelic frolics and freak-outs, some of which illustrate their backstories through sweaty, surreal vignettes. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 May 2025 Every so often, the E.R. is visited by rats, little symbols of disrepair and instigators of slapstick freak-outs. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 Enter another Jamie freak-out, which seems to come out of nowhere. Marah Eakin, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025 No one is really disputing it, but the market freak-out hinges on the truthfulness of a single and relatively unknown company. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025 The situation at the heart of the movie goes from bad to worse along a linear trajectory, but the horror freak-out promised by its eeriest moments never really bothers to materialize. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025 There's not the same freak-out about immigration in Canada. Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2016 But the Democratic freak-out commenced soon after Biden came to the stage. Jared Gans, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of freak-out was in 1966

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freak-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freak-out. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on freak-out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!