1
as in dread
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
the hikers entered the dark cave with a great deal of apprehension
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrest
the act of taking into one's control by authority of law
apprehension of the burglar set the neighborhood at ease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fear
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
felt a great deal of apprehension about the trip and about arriving safely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in understanding
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something
a good apprehension of how computer systems work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apprehension
Your Anxiety Is Reducing Sleep Quality Stress, anxiety, worry, and apprehension can interfere with your sleep.
—
Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2026
Power teaches people what to fear, how to name danger, and where to direct their apprehension.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
City officials and water managers across the state are watching with apprehension.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
Less formal polls by MLB Trade Rumors and ESPN found high levels of support for the challenge system, too, but as with any rule change in baseball there has been some level of apprehension as well.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apprehension
Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2026
Power teaches people what to fear, how to name danger, and where to direct their apprehension.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
City officials and water managers across the state are watching with apprehension.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
Less formal polls by MLB Trade Rumors and ESPN found high levels of support for the challenge system, too, but as with any rule change in baseball there has been some level of apprehension as well.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apprehension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apprehension
Noun
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Stetson also gathered a lot of woodwinds, particularly clarinets, as a counterpoint to the trees and as a voice for the icy, violent dread that hangs over the Harkin-Cunningham nuptials.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2026
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But there is a more general dread about human vulnerability to technology—a growing existential fear that people are losing the authorship and agency of their own lives to, particularly, artificial intelligence—that will be reflected in an avalanche of related negligent-design legal claims.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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During a foot chase and arrest, an officer was struck by an uninvolved vehicle, according to police.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Brown was issued a desk appearance ticket by cops for resisting arrest and obstruction of government administration, officials said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Gábor Polyák, a professor of media law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, said many in the capital were hearing stories of elderly people in small villages who, since Magyar’s victory, were living in fear.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
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Among the victims were two boys, ages 12 and 14, whose deaths have rattled their community in Northeast Washington and prompted broader fears about an uptick in gun violence that typically unfolds in warmer weather.—
Marissa J. Lang,
Washington Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Partway through the story, the reader learns something that upends our understanding of what’s going on.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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It’s based on the scientific understanding that all kinds of organisms — including plants, insects and disease fungi or bacteria — respond to the weather.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Put the worry of blisters behind you once and for all, and step into spring in style with the most comfortable shoes, according to the internet.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2026
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Burritt said the upshot is that his company, as a Nippon subsidiary, is freed from worries about geopolitical uncertainty.—
Cory Schouten,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, boundaries have not been redrawn since the 1971 census, as successive governments delayed the process over concerns about uneven population growth.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Damaging winds and flooding remain the primary concerns for any storms that can form on Thursday.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In India, the Queen showed her appreciation for the country by touring the Taj Mahal and riding an elephant.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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The players’ union, since Commissioner Rob Manfred has cited sluggish appreciation in sale prices as one reason to pursue cost controls on player salaries, whether through a salary cap or some other restriction.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mergen said recruitment to the DOJ had become harder over his decades there, as government shutdowns created anxiety about working at the department, and as nonprofits became more competitive in their salaries.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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Where academic pressures run high, so does the money and the parental anxiety.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehension. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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