1
as in anxiety
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
the sight of the headless horseman filled the schoolmaster with fear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worry
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
fear for her family's safety drove her to seek help from neighbors she hardly knew
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fear
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Our team and our cast members transformed fear into urgency.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
With the disease often misunderstood and widely feared, there was pushback against his early hopes of rekindling his career.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Noun
With access to new archival materials and legal files, Thompson looks at the decades-long reverberations of the shooting, from Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post that stoked fear in Americans across the country to the Black boys who were all but forgotten.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Our team and our cast members transformed fear into urgency.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
But the number was less than initially feared, and the chaos expected by some travelers has yet to happen in the terminals.
—Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
With the disease often misunderstood and widely feared, there was pushback against his early hopes of rekindling his career.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
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The attendees—thirty- and forty-somethings who are members of the bank’s Private Wealth Management (PWM) division, which boasts an average account size of over $75 million—gathered to hash out their anxiety and excitement.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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Barton will have to wait another month to receive his sentence for the six guilty counts the jury returned on charges of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety to football broadcasters Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, and TV and radio host Jeremy Vine.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile Syria remains scarred by years of conflict and nationals in Germany are looking on at the debate with mounting worry.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Leaders at big carmakers spelled out their worries in the latest round of earnings calls, saying that finding a replacement for Nexperia at scale in the short term will be difficult.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The measures, which had been agreed to in writing in mid-November 2023, were intended to address Lively’s concerns about on-set conduct and safety.—
Elizabeth Rosner,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Venezuelan immigrants and political refugees are celebrating the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, despite local protests and legal concerns.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That last reassuring prediction lowered my dread meter enough to consider the Connecticut homegrown disruptive events that will require attention but do not threaten annihilation.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
3 Jan. 2026
-
For many Venezuelans in Austin, news that United States forces had captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed with a mix of relief and dread.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mia Goth’s dual roles add another layer of unease.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Political turmoil added to unease up North.—
Stephanie Hughes,
Fortune,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Witnesses described scenes of panic as flames spread rapidly through the basement level before engulfing the upper floor.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Kaitlin spent the first weeks of her newborn son’s life in a panic.—
Lucas Waldron,
ProPublica,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The other lives in New Jersey and is accused of talking about a potential terror attack in Boston during a livestream.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Esmé, along with many patrons and staff, experienced the terror and chaos of the event firsthand.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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