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 How to watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV+ or Prime Video. 'Poor Things' Emma Stone is unbelievable in Yorgos Lanthimos' freak-out film about ... Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2024 His suggestion that everyone could use a paranoid, marijuana freak-out at an airport was reminiscent of the late Bill Hicks in all of the best ways. Stefan Stevenson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 Moods range from oceanic ambient to dazzling, abrasive freak-outs. Evan Minsker, Pitchfork, 12 Jan. 2024 So instead of replaying that ugly moment in your head over (and over) again, here’s a more productive way to cope: Reframe your freak-out as a learning experience. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 4 Jan. 2024 The kids treat it like a designer drug, filming their hallucinatory freak-outs on their phones. Will Bedingfield, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2023 The ascent of the cassette caused a major freak-out among record-company executives. Jon Michaud, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2023 This freak-out inspires one of the funniest moments in Priscilla — and is by far the trippiest scene in any Sofia Coppola film. Shannon Carlin, TIME, 3 Nov. 2023 There's not the same freak-out about immigration in Canada. Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2016

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near freak-out

Cite this Entry

“Freak-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freak-out. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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