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
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Recent Examples of fear
John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
Initially, there were fears that Halvorsen would have to undergo Tommy John surgery.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
However, naming the Holocaust as a genocide in 2026, the organizers of the lecture about our book feared, would evoke contemporary associations—above all, with the genocide in Gaza.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fear
Noun
Wroblewski’s biggest fear is overconfidence.
—John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
Initially, there were fears that Halvorsen would have to undergo Tommy John surgery.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, anti-war activists, online critics and military draft resisters fled the country by the tens of thousands, fearing imprisonment or worse.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
However, naming the Holocaust as a genocide in 2026, the organizers of the lecture about our book feared, would evoke contemporary associations—above all, with the genocide in Gaza.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
-
The dueling anxieties have been brewing for months.—
Jeran Wittenstein,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Remember that meaning can vary widely from person to person—for example, a dog can mean safety and loyalty to one person or fear and anxiety to another.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Its stock has been under pressure because of worries that competitors powered by artificial intelligence technology could upend its industry and take away customers.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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But the new study—along with previous research—reiterates that worries of weight gain with mango consumption aren’t substantiated.—
Lauren Manaker MS,
Health,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Prosecutors said county staffers raised concerns about the organization with their supervisors.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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The members of the council understand that the disarray wrought by Clark’s departure and the lingering concerns about Meyer could be exploited by the owners during bargaining sessions.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Other parents expressed disappointment or dread when babies appeared too dark.—
Dorothy Roberts,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
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But the have-funs and the have-existential-dreads of the hockey community are every bit as clear.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As each skated and waited for their scores to post, the crowd tittered with nervous unease.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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And at that point, ushered into the floating mists of non-consensus with murmurings of political unease regarding content or intellectual befuddlement regarding style, the briefly sighted, singular beast of language vanishes from the visible landscape.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His agent, in a panic, called our group’s director.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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Shortly after the trip, Taylor testified before the City Council on the panic-button pilot, which ran in four city high schools through a purchase order issued by the NYPD for $19,860.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What first reads like random abuse escalates into a relentless campaign of terror against Mats and his family, as the situation begins to uncover a dark, multi-layered story rooted more than 40 years earlier.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
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But also the pesky ones, like your terror and your existential dread.—
Catherine Mevs,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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