as in worries
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 fears
The group fears the administration will seek to fill the board with industry figures who may prioritize their own firms’ agendas instead of basic science.
—
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
The path to the big leagues is still a long and strenuous journey, but that's not something Grady fears.
—Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 11 May 2026
However, Friday’s labor data, at least, dampened fears the squeeze is spiraling into a full recession.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 10 May 2026
Hamas fears that Palestine will be susceptible to future incursions by the Israeli military if the territories do not have the capacity to defend themselves.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2026
Lindsey fears her property value will drop and her utility bills will increase.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
If the board doesn’t accept, Michalak fears Black Bear will kick the nonprofit’s teams out.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Jacqueline Guataquira, a 30-year-old graphic designer and longtime advocate for immigrant communities, also fears how her DNA sample might impact her family.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
The company fears that in an effort to crack down on espionage, the Defense Department might create monitoring capabilities that supersede even the Chinese Communist Party’s, sliding America into an autocratic AI regime.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
The path to the big leagues is still a long and strenuous journey, but that's not something Grady fears.
—Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 11 May 2026
However, Friday’s labor data, at least, dampened fears the squeeze is spiraling into a full recession.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 10 May 2026
Hamas fears that Palestine will be susceptible to future incursions by the Israeli military if the territories do not have the capacity to defend themselves.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2026
Lindsey fears her property value will drop and her utility bills will increase.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
If the board doesn’t accept, Michalak fears Black Bear will kick the nonprofit’s teams out.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Jacqueline Guataquira, a 30-year-old graphic designer and longtime advocate for immigrant communities, also fears how her DNA sample might impact her family.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
The company fears that in an effort to crack down on espionage, the Defense Department might create monitoring capabilities that supersede even the Chinese Communist Party’s, sliding America into an autocratic AI regime.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fears
worries
Verb
-
Sheppard worries about possible injury or burnout as Gout grows.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
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That’s also the gap that worries Ben Mizes, president of Clever Real Estate.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fears. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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