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
The intelligence assessment also claims that Putin is in a heightened state of paranoia, fearing assassination or a possible coup, and has limited his travel and public appearances.
—
Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
This is familiar territory for singular sports figures; think of how, over three seasons of 100 Foot Wave, big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara has opened up about his own vacillation between craving dominance and fearing irrelevance.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Officials backed the move despite vague plans, fearing the loss of the area to service from the Star Sewer and Water district.
—Idaho Statesman, 5 May 2026
Myanmar's then military junta denied him a visa for a final visit, and Suu Kyi refused to leave the country, fearing the generals would prevent her return.
—Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 3 May 2026
Investors have sold shares of software companies, fearing enterprise customers will use AI to create their own platforms.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Some major Spirit creditors, however, balked at the proposal, reportedly fearing their priority positions for repayment would be compromised.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
Following a late arrival to preseason testing in Barcelona, Aston has struggled for reliability throughout the early stages of this year due to a vibration issue that caused damage to the battery on the engine, as well as leaving the drivers fearing permanent nerve damage at one stage.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 1 May 2026
And how the map was presented has some fearing legal troubles.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
This is familiar territory for singular sports figures; think of how, over three seasons of 100 Foot Wave, big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara has opened up about his own vacillation between craving dominance and fearing irrelevance.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Officials backed the move despite vague plans, fearing the loss of the area to service from the Star Sewer and Water district.
—Idaho Statesman, 5 May 2026
Myanmar's then military junta denied him a visa for a final visit, and Suu Kyi refused to leave the country, fearing the generals would prevent her return.
—Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 3 May 2026
Investors have sold shares of software companies, fearing enterprise customers will use AI to create their own platforms.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Some major Spirit creditors, however, balked at the proposal, reportedly fearing their priority positions for repayment would be compromised.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
Following a late arrival to preseason testing in Barcelona, Aston has struggled for reliability throughout the early stages of this year due to a vibration issue that caused damage to the battery on the engine, as well as leaving the drivers fearing permanent nerve damage at one stage.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 1 May 2026
And how the map was presented has some fearing legal troubles.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearing
worrying
Verb
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Air quality concerns Smoke continued to linger Wednesday, worrying residents.—
Elijah Westbrook,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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Investors previously challenged the company's aggressive spending initiatives, worrying that new tech investments would take time to pay off.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearing. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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