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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fear
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
At the same time, don't let inflation fears derail your long-term strategy.
—Steve Hruby, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Oct. 2025
Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Oct. 2025
Unlike destructive exotic species such as pythons and lionfish that are here to stay in South Florida, snakeheads haven’t been as bad as many folks feared.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Noun
Creative While the woman had spared her viewers any sight of the spiders nest, TikTok users were quick to share their thoughts and fears on what had happened.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
At the same time, don't let inflation fears derail your long-term strategy.
—Steve Hruby, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
This is the kind of reassurance a skeptical toddler needs to really enjoy Halloween, not fear it.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Oct. 2025
Unlike destructive exotic species such as pythons and lionfish that are here to stay in South Florida, snakeheads haven’t been as bad as many folks feared.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
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The nation’s third shutdown in 12 years has again raised anxiety levels among service members and their families as those in uniform are working without pay.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
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In the book, she's portrayed as someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and on anxiety medication, both of which are used to discredit her and paint her as unwell.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Dreaming of worry-free cleaning?—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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Washington — Persistent worries about the higher cost of living and few job opportunities pushed consumer sentiment down to its seventh-lowest level in October, on records going back to 1952.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Brewers under pressure to create pressure For Dodgers officials, a primary concern in facing the Brewers revolved around Milwaukee’s speed.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
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If squirrels are a concern, attach wire mesh over top of the container.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
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The idea of having to double-cleanse fills me with dread.—
Mattie Kahn,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hints of unease momentarily heightened as the Spartans — deliberate and layered — went to work.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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Insurance executives told the FT that the industry lacks the capacity to handle the kind of systemic, large-scale losses AI models could trigger, reflecting the sector’s broader unease about underwriting the unprecedented risks posed by generative AI providers.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On an evening that began with panic in USC’s backfield, the walk-on gave Riley reason to exhale amid the chaos.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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The colorless liquid is now responsible for an ongoing health crisis that has triggered a nationwide panic affecting about 100 million people across six states in Brazil, according to health authorities.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Or that the hamster her daughter kept begging, begging, begging Linda to get turns out to be a raging, biting terror?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement An investigation led by the Guardian found in September that out of the 6,000 Palestinians from Gaza held by Israel since the Hamas terror attack two years ago, only one quarter were held on suspicion of militant links.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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