How to Use for fear of in a Sentence

for fear of

idiom
Definition of for fear ofnext
  • Both women gave just their first name for fear of reprisals.
    — Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
  • Many may not ask about lead for fear of being passed over for the next person in line.
    — Peter F. Neronha, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2023
  • That’s why both Jacky and Leo asked me to use only their English names for fear of reprisal.
    — Li Yuan, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
  • Some don't even want to test their water, for fear of unearthing the problem.
    — Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
  • None would comment on the record for fear of losing future work.
    — Aïda Amer, Axios, 16 July 2024
  • No one was shaking anyone's hand then, for fear of spreading the virus.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, USA TODAY, 28 June 2024
  • Since then, the Palestinians have avoided the gate for fear of being shot.
    — Ben Hubbard Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 1 June 2024
  • The small group of Chinese Catholics who crossed the border to see Pope Francis covered their faces for fear of reprisal.
    — Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023
  • Teams avoid playing their starters and elite backups for fear of injury.
    — Steve Silverman, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
  • In the past, trainers did not want to be stuck on the extreme outside for fear of being stuck eight or nine paths wide on the first turn.
    — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 1 May 2023
  • Because of that mist, all of the townspeople are being held for fear of dark magic.
    — USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2023
  • Like many others, the man, a 28-year-old Jerusalemite, didn’t want to give his name for fear of retribution by the police.
    — Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
  • The women hid their shirts under their hoodies for fear of being removed from the venue.
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
  • Yet the man insisted on anonymity, for fear of losing friends.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023
  • The bluejackets forced everyone to walk in the middle of the street for fear of falling debris.
    — Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2023
  • At the same time, seniors are afraid to complain for fear of repercussions, speakers said.
    — Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
  • Migrants sometimes don’t report to court for fear of losing their case.
    — Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
  • The expert asked to not be named for fear of retaliation.
    — David Ingram, NBC News, 13 Aug. 2024
  • The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
    — Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2024
  • What it was designed to do, however, was ease the concerns of customers who didn’t turn on their AC even in heat waves for fear of a spike in their bill.
    — Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2023
  • The specific start and end times motivate people to buy on whim for fear of missing out, says Thomas.
    — Nerdwallet, The Mercury News, 2 July 2024
  • Some members of your group might be embarrassed to share their budget, for fear of spoiling the fun or coming across as cheap.
    — Nerdwallet, Orange County Register, 31 July 2024
  • In the end, the Shin Bet chose not to bring the case to court, for fear of exposing the agency’s intelligence-gathering methods.
    — Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023
  • Just Sam, however, couldn’t go back to New York for fear of getting their grandmother sick.
    — Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2023
  • Ghannam worked as an eighth grade English teacher at a school in the area, Islam added, declining to give his own last name for fear of reprisals.
    — Isabel Debre The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023
  • Lilith and other dancers asked not to be identified by their legal names for fear of being harassed or stalked.
    — Ava Sasani, New York Times, 16 May 2023
  • Do not make the mistake of avoiding therapy for fear of losing each other.
    — Elaine Welteroth, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
  • George allowed his wife to cultivate few close friendships, for fear of favoritism.
    — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2023
  • Two of the families did not want their names used in this story for fear of retaliation by the district.
    — Melanie Asmar, The Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2024
  • People in conflict often cite feeling powerless, stuck, and reluctant to speak up for fear of consequences.
    — Anna Shields, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

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

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