as in worrying
to experience concern or anxiety
her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her
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Recent Examples of fearing
After diversifying into producing miscellaneous goods as well as accessories, the company struggled to find a successor, fearing that a new leader from within the industry would completely change its ways of doing business, which were based on paperwork processes.
—
Japan Contributor, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Florida school districts have seen dwindling enrollment since 2024, owing, in part, to immigrants leaving the state or fearing being detained by ICE.
—Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Parents in our network describe being terrified, with some fearing their children, many of whom have legal status, could be used as leverage against family members.
—Daniel Anello, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The encounter escalated when Massey picked up a pot of hot water, prompting the deputy to open fire fearing he would be scalded.
—John O’Connor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Family friends and school administrators have said neighbors and Conejo Arias urged Liam’s mother not to open the door, fearing she would also be detained.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
At the time, Kenworthy wasn’t out to this family or his teammates, fearing the revelation could impact their performance.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
Christian is obsessed with ending AI and wants to ensure that humanity stops progressing with technology, fearing that one day the robots will overtake humans.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
What is anxiety and how to recognize it Anxiety is characterized by apprehension and physical symptoms of tension in someone anticipating or fearing potential danger, catastrophe or misfortune, according to the American Psychological Association.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
Japan Contributor, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Florida school districts have seen dwindling enrollment since 2024, owing, in part, to immigrants leaving the state or fearing being detained by ICE.
—Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
Parents in our network describe being terrified, with some fearing their children, many of whom have legal status, could be used as leverage against family members.
—Daniel Anello, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The encounter escalated when Massey picked up a pot of hot water, prompting the deputy to open fire fearing he would be scalded.
—John O’Connor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Family friends and school administrators have said neighbors and Conejo Arias urged Liam’s mother not to open the door, fearing she would also be detained.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
At the time, Kenworthy wasn’t out to this family or his teammates, fearing the revelation could impact their performance.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
Christian is obsessed with ending AI and wants to ensure that humanity stops progressing with technology, fearing that one day the robots will overtake humans.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
What is anxiety and how to recognize it Anxiety is characterized by apprehension and physical symptoms of tension in someone anticipating or fearing potential danger, catastrophe or misfortune, according to the American Psychological Association.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearing
worrying
Verb
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Also worrying, said Malekan, is that the plan appeared designed to include all of its current business partners, some of which have direct financial ties to NYSE.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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But Iranians have become angry and anxious, seeing footage of protesters shot and killed while worrying about what may happen next as the economy — the original focus of the protests — sinks further.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearing. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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