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)
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 15 May 2026
The episode was almost entirely about Margo and her continued freak-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Goldman Reinforced The Shift If the legal news was a spark, the Goldman announcement just days later was gasoline on the industry freak-out fire.
—Cat Casey, Forbes.com, 6 Mar. 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
Noun
Here are some common culprits of both types of skin freak-outs.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 15 May 2026
The episode was almost entirely about Margo and her continued freak-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Goldman Reinforced The Shift If the legal news was a spark, the Goldman announcement just days later was gasoline on the industry freak-out fire.
—Cat Casey, Forbes.com, 6 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak (out)
Verb
-
This was a club that embraced African players before much of Europe bothered to scout the continent seriously.—
Zohran Mamdani,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
In my dream world where Emmys voters bother to watch Bait, Khan is a shoo-in.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
But Judy has a meltdown during a press briefing, when PTSD resurfaces from her time in the Rail Force, a Reagan-era military initiative to defend America by train.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
-
After an emotional meltdown, Ava agrees, hoping to persuade Deborah to change her mind.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Considering its reputation and its placement on the World’s Best List, the clientele tends to be very international so those who don’t speak French need not worry.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
Many of his fellow Republicans might find his campaign, as outlined to a reporter Wednesday, to be worrying on closer examination.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Minimizing soil disturbance is practiced in the springtime to loosen the soil by using a garden fork and sliding it into the soil at about a 30-degree angle, lifting up to just barely crack the soil.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Then the German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch cracked industrial nitrogen fixation in 1909, and the practical significance of the problem receded.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Schizophrenia, bipolar, autism, anxiety, depression – all of these topics are almost global bestsellers.—
Jon LaPook,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
While menopause is biological, many of the symptoms associated with it, including sleep disruption, anxiety, mood instability, brain fog, and fatigue, can also be amplified by chronic stress and nervous system overload.—
Meggen Harris,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has alarmed global public health experts over the ferocity of the spread in the remote and heavily populated region.—
Jane Weaver,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
At a moment when surveillance technologies are increasingly weaponized against our communities, Albany’s latest proposal should alarm every New Yorker.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
What beef tallow is and how it’s made Beef tallow is a white, shelf-stable cooking fat made by rendering — or melting down — the fatty tissue that surrounds a cow’s organs, according to Michelle Crouch at AARP.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
This is a rematch of the Patriots’ wild-card round win over the Chargers, when Justin Herbert melted down against New England’s defense.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
That is, until a conversation about having children throws their relationship into a tailspin.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
28 May 2026
-
As injuries to their pitching staff pile up and players desperately try to pull themselves out of a tailspin, the Chicago Cubs sent Jordan Wicks out to the mound Tuesday night.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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