1
as in to erode
to consume or wear away gradually
over the span of thousands of years, the annual spring runoff fretted the rock, forming a deep channel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction
don't let the girth fret the horse's belly or you won't be able to ride him
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
don't fret over whether it will be sunny tomorrow, as there's nothing we can do about it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in panic
a state of nervous or irritated concern
one of my customers always gets into a fret if I'm so much as 15 minutes late delivering his newspaper
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fret
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
Still, some contemporary commentators fret that capitalism is in crisis.
—H. Sami Karaca, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2025
Jones is also only hitting 34 percent from 3 so far, but don’t fret, as that won’t last.
—Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
The president's harsh immigration rhetoric on the campaign trail has led some college advocacy groups to fret over whether his administration would attempt to use FAFSA information to target students with undocumented family members.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fret 
Verb
Before people started fretting about what’s film and what’s TV, Lynch had already shattered and discarded those labels.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
Still, some contemporary commentators fret that capitalism is in crisis.
—H. Sami Karaca, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2025
Jones is also only hitting 34 percent from 3 so far, but don’t fret, as that won’t last.
—Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
The president's harsh immigration rhetoric on the campaign trail has led some college advocacy groups to fret over whether his administration would attempt to use FAFSA information to target students with undocumented family members.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fret
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fret
Verb
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Yasmine Saad, a licensed clinical psychologist, notes that such patterns of behavior, when persistent, can erode family bonds.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
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Imposing unilateral tariffs on Canada and Mexico without exhausting legal remedies provided for under the USMCA erodes trust with key trading partners.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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As the United States waged war in Vietnam in the 1960s, the Supreme Court said a Des Moines high school could not prevent students from wearing black armbands in support of a truce.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA TODAY,
17 Feb. 2025
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Timothée Chalamet wore a black Bottega Veneta suit with a Cartier necklace that featured a panther pendant.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
WWD,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Economists have warned that a wide-scale trade war could significantly raise prices, and consumers appear to be worried as well.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2025
-
News outlets whose owners worry about lawsuits or government harassment rein in their investigative teams and their most aggressive reporters.—
STEVEN LEVITSKY,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The greasier the better, Chen says (but people with sensitive skin should avoid olive oil, which can be irritating).—
Matt Fuchs,
TIME,
6 Feb. 2025
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One woman on TikTok has gone viral after describing how her brother still finds ways to irritate her—even from a distance.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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That was the startling observation of one seasoned producer, reflecting confidentially on the panic among his peers since the turn of the year.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
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Government officials have hastened to quell any panic.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However hot dogs may have originated, the council estimates Americans will eat 7 billion of them between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.—
Don Sweeney,
sacbee,
19 July 2017
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New this year to True Nature is a retreat for those with eating disorders and their family members.—
Plain Dealer guest writer,
cleveland.com,
19 July 2017
Verb
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The trust that underpinned Maryland’s politics is fraying, weakened by the bad-faith accusations of our current governor against our former governor.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Feb. 2025
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Elsewhere, there were talisman-esque adornments on shrunken and frayed knits.—
Scarlett Conlon,
CNN,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Vintage nonstick pots and pans were typically made with toxic materials that could be more hazardous if the cookware item is scratched or nicked.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
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Carson Soucy was healthy scratched for the first time this season, with Elias Pettersson, the defenceman, drawing into the lineup instead.—
Harman Dayal,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near fret
Cite this Entry
“Fret.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fret. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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