1
as in to bother
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
don't talk about death, as it totally freaks me out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lose it
to yield to mental or emotional stress
the landlady totally freaked out when she saw the dead body in the hall
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in meltdown
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of freak (out)
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
For now, though, Chang is in her bubble up north and witnessing most of the freak-outs remotely and not in person.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 14 Jan. 2026
Somebody, the woman had just a little bit of a freak-out for lack of a better term.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
John Hollinger looks at the Western Conference teams who might already be in freak-out mode.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025
After Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary this summer, some high-end real-estate brokers confessed to having something of a freak-out.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 30 Oct. 2025
But that possibility is literally dynamited in a vision Daria has of the home abruptly blown to smithereens, the destruction replayed in slo-mo to the crashing squeals of early Pink Floyd, itself a collapse of psychedelic rock’s utopian ideals into acid-casualty freak-out.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
The dog remained unfazed during Fowler's minor freak-out.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Oasis’s last tour, in 2008, was riven by fights, freak-outs, and sibling rivalry.
—Air Mail, 7 June 2025
Noun
This time, Carr’s freak-out was an attempt to stretch the FCC’s equal-time rules to apply to talk shows — both late night and daytime.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
For now, though, Chang is in her bubble up north and witnessing most of the freak-outs remotely and not in person.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 14 Jan. 2026
Somebody, the woman had just a little bit of a freak-out for lack of a better term.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
John Hollinger looks at the Western Conference teams who might already be in freak-out mode.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025
After Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary this summer, some high-end real-estate brokers confessed to having something of a freak-out.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 30 Oct. 2025
But that possibility is literally dynamited in a vision Daria has of the home abruptly blown to smithereens, the destruction replayed in slo-mo to the crashing squeals of early Pink Floyd, itself a collapse of psychedelic rock’s utopian ideals into acid-casualty freak-out.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
The dog remained unfazed during Fowler's minor freak-out.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Oasis’s last tour, in 2008, was riven by fights, freak-outs, and sibling rivalry.
—Air Mail, 7 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak (out)
Verb
-
The administration doesn’t actually bother to project deficits and public debt over the next decade.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In 2019, the band’s bassist and founding member, Steve Harris, told Rolling Stone the fact that the band wasn’t yet inducted at the time didn’t bother him.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lawmakers are taking the position that tax revenues are up and that the state economy is doing much better than when the Tier 6 reform plan was instituted in 2012, as the nation was still recovering from the 2008 financial meltdown.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
During some crises, like the 2008 financial meltdown and at the height of the pandemic in 2020, the central bank has used its balance sheet to buy bonds.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Another employee spoke with The New Yorker for the 2016 story while wearing a disguise, worried about retribution.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Hikers, who already worry about bikes flying down narrow trails, now worry about e-bikes flying up from behind.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Clad in all black, James and the band cracked wise onstage with a brash, swashbuckling attitude, led constant clap-alongs, and took multiple sojourns into the crowd — and that was just during the first song.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Its brunch menu features a variety of fun bites, sides and mains, such as Avocado Toast Flights; Wake and Gravy Poutine; and the Trenton Porkroll Benny made with two poached eggs, cracked pepper and melted cheddar over potato pancakes.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mergen said recruitment to the DOJ had become harder over his decades there, as government shutdowns created anxiety about working at the department, and as nonprofits became more competitive in their salaries.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Where academic pressures run high, so does the money and the parental anxiety.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While the prevalence of carfentanil still pales in comparison to fentanyl, experts are nevertheless alarmed by the increase of a substance researched for years as a chemical weapon and deployed by Russian forces on Chechen separatists in 2002.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The alerts were triggered by the severe thunderstorm moving through the area, alarming some residents who were unaware the city’s siren system now also goes off when a severe weather warning is issued by the National Weather Service.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The former Exide Technologies plant in Vernon melted down pallets of lead-acid car batteries in blast furnaces for nearly a century, blanketing up to 10,000 nearby properties with toxic dust, according to state officials.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Experts feared it would be melted down for its gold.—
Ryan Brennan
April 10,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The bride’s shocking personal revelation triggers her maid of honor and sends the groom into a tailspin, igniting wedding reception chaos that overshadows their characters’ union from the start.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Blue Jackets had sputtered along offensively for more than two weeks, scoring only 16 goals during a 2-7-1 tailspin that knocked them out of a playoff spot.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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