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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
Barrett, however, doesn’t share that concern. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025 Lacing those concerns is the looming controversy over who actually crafted the map, which Kehoe unveiled on the Friday before Labor Day weekend. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Room for Disagreement The White House official pointed to the GOP’s advantage over its opponents in economic polling and argued lawmakers should not be concerned. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Namely, the fact that Powell’s booksellers had been raising concerns about the use AI art long before the merch drop—concerns that management repeatedly overruled. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for concern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concern
Noun
  • Paxton’s interest in Paul’s plight was bizarre, obsessive and so far beyond normal operations at the attorney general’s office that the agency’s top officials struggled to convey their concerns during the hourslong meeting with two FBI agents.
    Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Market bets on an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve in September were unchanged shortly following the print, with CME's FedWatch tool suggesting a 90% probability of a quarter-percentage point cut and a 10% chance of a bigger half-point reduction.
    Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The prospect of governments being ousted in Tokyo and Paris fueled further uncertainty, while investors voiced worry over expansive deficit spending in London and Berlin.
    Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • My worry is that inaction is not a strategy.
    Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Don't go into a basement, or any room, if water covers the electrical outlets or if cords are submerged.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • If $3 billion in additional funding through 2090 isn't approved, and soon, tens of thousands of people from different genders, races and cultural backgrounds will be affected.
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Exchange rates affect everything from groceries to retirement.
    Tom Zachystal, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The women were too busy cooking, crafting, and caring for the family to bother with the stone tools used by men in hunting and building.
    Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?
    Time, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The logo of German car maker Mercedes-Benz is seen as a person stands in front of the company’s booth before the opening of the International Motor Show IAA on September 7, 2025, in Munich, southern Germany.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Metra trains serve six counties in the Chicago area, according to the company's website.
    Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But all friends need to be honest with each other, to tell each other home truths when it’s needed, to confront those awkward moments without fear of the reaction.
    Steve Sedgwick, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The progressive fear that the Abundance movement wants to take over the Democratic Party isn’t baseless at all — its adherents have plenty of influence in it now.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • An audio jack is also included.
    Jorge Jimenez, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025
  • At its Awe-Dropping Event in Cupertino, Apple announced four new iPhones, including the iPhone 17, iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro series.
    Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Concern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concern. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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