1
as in anxiety
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
the sight of the headless horseman filled the schoolmaster with fear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worry
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
fear for her family's safety drove her to seek help from neighbors she hardly knew
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fear
Nora Taylor, Architectural Digest, 4 Apr. 2025
Read More: How Trump’s Tariffs Will Impact U.S. Consumers
Yields on Treasurys tumbled in part on rising expectations for coming cuts to rates, along with general fear about the health of the U.S. economy.
—Jiang Junzhe, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Then, fearing he'd be blamed, Tripp stole a knife from the office of pastry chef Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot) and used it to slit A.B.'s wrists in order to make his death look more like a suicide.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Noun
This pick includes a second shelf for storage (or decor), and the rounded edges remove any fear of bumping into sharp corners on your way in or out the door.
—Nora Taylor, Architectural Digest, 4 Apr. 2025
Read More: How Trump’s Tariffs Will Impact U.S. Consumers
Yields on Treasurys tumbled in part on rising expectations for coming cuts to rates, along with general fear about the health of the U.S. economy.
—Jiang Junzhe, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
People know who Gavin Newsom is: a San Francisco liberal who went to a lobbyist’s birthday party while most of his constituents stayed inside, ordered food delivered by essential workers, feared their neighbors, got sick, and died.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Then, fearing he'd be blamed, Tripp stole a knife from the office of pastry chef Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot) and used it to slit A.B.'s wrists in order to make his death look more like a suicide.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
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Recently announced job cuts at Johns Hopkins University, one of Maryland’s largest employers, and tens of thousands of others across the nation, however, are happening with an unsettling speed and efficiency, leaving countless workers in a state of anxiety, uncertainty and despair.—
Alan M. Langlieb,
Baltimore Sun,
31 Mar. 2025
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They are marketed as an alternative for pain relief, anxiety, and sleep disorders.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Southeast Side resident Anne Holcomb emphasized a sense of urgency as worries grow in her community about the environmental impacts of a PsiQuantum computing facility that will be built in the area.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
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Inflation, tariff worries drive consumers' outlooks to lowest levels in 12 years What are tariffs?—
Bailey Schulz,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And as spring break trips and summer vacations draw near, stories of green-card and visa holders being detained have sparked new concerns about traveling.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2025
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This can lead to an excess of sugar in the blood that, over time, can lead to a variety of health conditions and concerns.—
Alysse Dalessandro,
Health,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Our familiar route turned into an obstacle course of dread, and every step toward the school building sent him deeper into a panicked spiral.—
Elizabeth Austin,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
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Once the innie enters the room, it is forced to engage in an activity which coincides with things Gemma fears (going to the dentist, airplane turbulence) or dreads (writing thank-you cards).—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The event itself has become a subject of unease among journalists and others who question the optics of the press mingling with high-profile government officials at a swanky soiree.—
Theresa Braine,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
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The dismissal is a surprise given the timing, but multiple league sources expected Memphis to make changes this offseason due to growing discontent between Jenkins and the players, unease among his assistants, and differing visions between Jenkins and the front office on how to play.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Winning either — or even narrowing the margin in districts the president won by more than 30 points less than five months ago — could help alleviate the panic that set in among party leaders after Republicans swept both houses of Congress and the presidency in November.—
Kate Payne,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2025
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The sudden panic over Florida's special elections has finally put President Trump on the same page as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.): The GOP's margin is too close for comfort.—
Marc Caputo,
Axios,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The disclosure came in filings from the Manhattan district attorney’s office responding to requests by Mangione’s lawyers ahead of his trial on murder and terror offenses stemming from the Dec. 4 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
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In a shocking report published March 24, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, revealed that he was accidentally added to a group chat in which very senior government officials planned a strike on the Houthi terror group in Yemen earlier this month.—
Ben Sales,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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