concern 1 of 2

concern

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verb

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as in to affect
to be the business or affair of the problems of air and water pollution that concern all of us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word concern distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of concern are anxiety, care, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When could anxiety be used to replace concern?

In some situations, the words anxiety and concern are roughly equivalent. However, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

When is care a more appropriate choice than concern?

The words care and concern are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can solicitude be used instead of concern?

The synonyms solicitude and concern are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When is it sensible to use worry instead of concern?

While the synonyms worry and concern are close in meaning, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of concern
Noun
These developments are fueling concerns that the administration is weaponizing the DOJ, Lucas says. Brittney Melton, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025 The war in Ukraine also generated concern that sanctioned individuals may have used them to acquire access to the bloc. Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
One of them concerned the Ingalls matriarch having an understandable nervous breakdown. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025 The Oklahoma State Cowboys have fallen on hard times over the past few seasons, finishing with just a 3-9 record in 2024, followed by a concerning 1-2 start to the 2025 season. Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for concern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concern
Noun
  • Just between the Suarez sisters’ past love interests, there is so much drama to explore.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Since then, the administration has, while declining to publicly state its position as regime change, signaled clear interest in removing Maduro from power.
    Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • What is the worry for governments and what is the worry for ordinary civilians?
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Fresh data revealed jobless claims far under expectations — suggesting layoffs remain limited and the labor market is holding firm despite Fed worries.
    Benzinga, Freep.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This Thursday’s episode of The Run-Through covers a lot of exciting ground.
    Vogue, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The Athletic covered the matter in this piece soon after the window closed.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The dispute affected educators and policymakers statewide — but Pendleton managed to take the best of both literacy methods and apply them to the 130,000-plus students then enrolled in San Diego schools, Lopez said.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Based on her symptoms, Chyna may suffer from Wobbler Syndrome, a disease that affects a large dog’s spine.
    TJ Macias, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Finney's younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) is bothered by nightmarish visions of an alpine camp, and the siblings investigate only to discover that the Grabber has found a way to torture from the other side.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Common Pests and Problems Hardy cyclamen planted in ground are rarely bothered by pests.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The inquiry challenges the extent to which social media companies are responsible when users engage with and confess to violence online.
    Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
  • The changes will affect tech companies that recruit foreign talent, and businesses have been warned of the unintended consequences of the new fees.
    Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But after nearly two years of bloodshed in Gaza, and the proliferation of Israeli outposts in the occupied West Bank, fears are mounting that Palestinian statehood is a fading prospect.
    Tara John, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
  • The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.
    Jonathan J. Cooper, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Some state legislatures have passed grant programs meant to help schools foot the bill for those upgrades, including in Texas and Florida, where mass shootings at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas in 2018 and Robb Elementary School in 2022 rattled the country.
    Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Later in the inning, Peterson left pitches, including his sinker, too high in the strike zone, leading to hits.
    Will Sammon, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Concern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concern. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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