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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fear
Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Gangs, the 18th Street posse in particular, and drug trafficking have trapped working-class immigrants in a cycle of violence and fear.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2025
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
Victims may fear liftoff from a porcelain launch pad, or a vomitous blast with a reverse thrust that seems powerful enough to drop a military jet from the sky.
—ArsTechnica, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Noun
Travelers have a lot to fear this summer These fears are not irrational.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Gangs, the 18th Street posse in particular, and drug trafficking have trapped working-class immigrants in a cycle of violence and fear.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2025
Verb
This is not out of fear that Agnes will be jealous Lydie is having a child, but fear that Agnes will be anxious about her friend pulling her further away.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
Victims may fear liftoff from a porcelain launch pad, or a vomitous blast with a reverse thrust that seems powerful enough to drop a military jet from the sky.
—ArsTechnica, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
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Your husband’s anxiety just makes her puppet strings easier to pull.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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But Democratic pollster John Zogby said many of the wins came at the sacrifice of some and that anxiety in America is higher than ever.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
The fact Ishiba’s LDP faces an election on July 20 only heightens the BOJ’s worries about the political establishment striking back.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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But plenty of Republicans have expressed worries about the provision as well, imperiling its passage.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Trump's business assets are held by the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which is controlled by his son, Donald Trump Jr., but government watchdog groups have nonetheless expressed concern about how Trump may be using his position as president to generate personal profits.—
Kelsey Walsh,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
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Reports on Monday showed that Russia had amassed some 50,000 troops on Ukraine's northern border near the Sumy region, sparking concerns that Putin could be planning another major offensive.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The fear is more like a soft surge of dread, as if my synapses had been been rewired to the thrusting strings of John Williams' famous theme.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
21 June 2025
-
Feelings on the ground range from dread to determination.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Noun
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However, there is unease in the market about supply exceeding demand from 2027 onward, and a potential glut that could persist to the end of the decade dragging prices lower.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
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There is a certain unease that settles over a place when a familiar landmark begins to dissolve.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Although the frustration of supporters is shared internally, there is no sense of panic — which is unlikely to pacify fans understandably impatient for additions following three successive windows without a first-XI signing.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
3 July 2025
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That panic is causing bare shelves in grocery stores such as Publix, where media relations manager Nicole Maristany Krauss said the store is working with suppliers to stock shelves while providing value.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Prosecutors are adding new first-degree murder charges to those already faced by terror suspect, who remains jailed.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
1 July 2025
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The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are concerned about the potential for copycat attacks from the New Orleans terror attack on New Year's Day, as well as homegrown extremists.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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