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
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fear
Lluvia Gaucin, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Read on for more about his fear that the buzz could fizzle out, criticism over the lineup’s scarce gender representation ratio and the issue of his mandate expiring at the end of next year’s event.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 26 Aug. 2025
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
In this way, some scientists fear, the winner of the race to AGI might be neither the U.S. nor China, but rogue AI itself, spelling the end of human civilization.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Noun
Medicaid recipients watched in fear as Republicans passed deep rollbacks.
—Lluvia Gaucin, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Read on for more about his fear that the buzz could fizzle out, criticism over the lineup’s scarce gender representation ratio and the issue of his mandate expiring at the end of next year’s event.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
Due to the unprecedented nature of the deal, Intel fears there's no way to anticipate myriad other challenges the deal may trigger.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
In this way, some scientists fear, the winner of the race to AGI might be neither the U.S. nor China, but rogue AI itself, spelling the end of human civilization.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
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But there are other factors, including rising consumer anxiety and consumer debt, that remain headwinds to the market heading into the fall, Sturtevant said.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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The civil complaint compares TikTok to slot machines and alleges that the app may lead to anxiety and depression, developmental damage and financial exploitation among children.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Yet by then, parents may have a bigger worry, nutrition advocates warn.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
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Follow these five steps to log off without the worry.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Borowsky fiercely opposed the expansion, citing concerns over the aesthetics of a parking garage in Old Town and how its construction would disrupt and potentially permanently displace the Old Town Farmers Market.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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Should churches endorse politicians? Erickson's concerns with Barker's endorsement go beyond legal reasons.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Andrea Pirlo went to work in the Dubai second division after the Italian Football Federation settled on Gennaro Gattuso as the underwhelming answer to a qualifying campaign now overwhelmed by a sense of dread.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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Western instruments add an extra degree of dread on the score, to suggest the encroachment of the U.S. forces — Rota brings out the ominousness of an oboe like no film composer ever.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While the Blackhawks did well trading away Seth Jones for Spencer Knight and a first, plus accumulating some other picks elsewhere, there’s still a sense of unease regarding where this train is going.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
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Beyond a chance to cultivate your kid’s independence, Dr. Franz noted that short periods of unease can build resilience in children.—
Jana Pollack,
Parents,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Dan Kois at Slate pointed out in 2010 that some of the age panic around Cauldron may have been overstated.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
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Experts say almost everyone experiences this kind of middle-of-the-night panic at some point.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Aggressive lending even allowed the housing market to brush off the 9/11 terror attacks and the dot-com stock crash as the 2000s began.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
18 Aug. 2025
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The diagnosis is essentially a long list of separate but simultaneous developments that collectively upset the relatively simple balance of terror that stabilized the late Cold War.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
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