1
as in to bother
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
don't talk about death, as it totally freaks me out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lose it
to yield to mental or emotional stress
the landlady totally freaked out when she saw the dead body in the hall
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in meltdown
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of freak (out)
Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Here are some common culprits of both types of skin freak-outs.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 15 May 2026
The episode was almost entirely about Margo and her continued freak-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Goldman Reinforced The Shift If the legal news was a spark, the Goldman announcement just days later was gasoline on the industry freak-out fire.
—Cat Casey, Forbes.com, 6 Mar. 2026
For now, though, Chang is in her bubble up north and witnessing most of the freak-outs remotely and not in person.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 14 Jan. 2026
Somebody, the woman had just a little bit of a freak-out for lack of a better term.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
After Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary this summer, some high-end real-estate brokers confessed to having something of a freak-out.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 30 Oct. 2025
But that possibility is literally dynamited in a vision Daria has of the home abruptly blown to smithereens, the destruction replayed in slo-mo to the crashing squeals of early Pink Floyd, itself a collapse of psychedelic rock’s utopian ideals into acid-casualty freak-out.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
Much of the freak-out was fed by polls supposedly showing Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco atop the field.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Here are some common culprits of both types of skin freak-outs.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 15 May 2026
The episode was almost entirely about Margo and her continued freak-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Goldman Reinforced The Shift If the legal news was a spark, the Goldman announcement just days later was gasoline on the industry freak-out fire.
—Cat Casey, Forbes.com, 6 Mar. 2026
For now, though, Chang is in her bubble up north and witnessing most of the freak-outs remotely and not in person.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 14 Jan. 2026
Somebody, the woman had just a little bit of a freak-out for lack of a better term.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
After Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary this summer, some high-end real-estate brokers confessed to having something of a freak-out.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 30 Oct. 2025
But that possibility is literally dynamited in a vision Daria has of the home abruptly blown to smithereens, the destruction replayed in slo-mo to the crashing squeals of early Pink Floyd, itself a collapse of psychedelic rock’s utopian ideals into acid-casualty freak-out.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak (out)
Verb
-
Oh, and more often than not, nobody bothers to check whether the change intervention actually worked, or whether leaders improve their performance after all!—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
The chest pain that had been bothering her finally let up.—
Tyler Quattrin,
Twin Cities,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The former cracked the top 10 on Spain's radio airplay chart.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
And not one property owner has participated in a pilot program requiring landlords to give current tenants first crack at purchasing multifamily buildings.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The science behind your airport meltdown The red zone is all about loss of control, according to experts.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
Her brother’s homemade dessert and the cake from Costco didn’t spike her blood sugar, but the Applebee’s triple chocolate meltdown sent her glucose sky high.—
Noelle Harff,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Looking to be quite aggressive in a football sense and always looking for the solution and what can happen instead of worrying about what the problem is.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Many have worried that the trend toward more historic, modern, and established art is leaving contemporary artists in the dust, but by the sounds of it yesterday, dealers confirmed strong interest in the latter category, with broader sales made across their program.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The financial system melted down in 2008 and the global COVID-19 pandemic erupted in 2020.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
The industry was already struggling with cost overruns when, in 1979, a reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania partially melted down and slammed the brakes on further expansion.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
As burnout, anxiety and digital overload continue to climb, many are discovering that recovery requires doing less—not more.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
In a neighborhood sometimes marked by gangs and violence, and in a time of heightened anxiety over immigration enforcement, the Fiesta Back of the Yards acts as a beacon of light, offering food, social services, music and fun in a safe environment.—
Allison Kiehl,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Hordes of soccer fans wearing Mexico and South Korea jerseys were walking down Olympic Boulevard energized but not alarmed in any way.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
That alarmed some lawmakers about the risk of assessments on the rest of the market.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
After Diop broke up a pass into the box to Adams, McGinn got his foot on a cross to the right of Morocco’s net.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2026
-
In January, during our coldest winter in 45 years, the mayor reversed the policy of the previous administration and refused to break up homeless encampments regardless of the sub freezing temperatures.—
Bradley Tusk,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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