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
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Dissimilar Words
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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 person who should have been most upset, Acuña, didn’t seem at all bothered.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Given their locations, having a Chinese company operating them has long bothered the United States.—
Alma Solís,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The United Arab Emirates said its two key markets will close for two days of the week, avoiding a possible meltdown after the Gulf country was repeatedly hit as Iran retaliated against US-Israeli airstrikes.—
Sherif Tarek,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Richard’s meltdown goes viral, putting his role — and maybe his career — on ice while his long-suffering agent, Alvy (Tony Shalhoub), scrambles to clean up the mess.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some Republicans are worried about Paxton’s chances in a general election as the GOP tries to keep control of the Senate in November, and worry that money will need to be spent in Texas that could otherwise go toward winning battleground states, according to Politico.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
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But don’t worry, by the time they’re gone, there’ll be another new treat to try.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gwen then cracks a joke about firing Del Rio's character.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Inside the pile of rocks at Delray Beach’s Anchor Park, there are hundreds of seashells, but most are broken, cracked, smashed or otherwise beaten up.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The purpose is to foster humility, reduce a person’s anxiety by releasing their need for control and provide an external source of strength for long-term recovery.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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Under a psychiatrist's care, she was prescribed anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications and regularly saw a therapist.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kevin Brown, who runs the HAZMAT detail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said residents should not be alarmed by the presence of the WMD Civil Support Team.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The spike has alarmed public health experts, many of whom blame the disease’s resurgence on declining rates of vaccination against measles.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hello from Milan and Cortina, where the USA women’s hockey team will face a familiar foe in the gold-medal game, two Americans were on the podium in women’s monobob and a Norwegian skier melted down after losing out on a medal.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
16 Feb. 2026
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Inside the Arts District campus workspace, plastic donations are sorted, shredded and melted down using specialized equipment before being molded into new objects or artwork.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In this Alexander Payne–esque comedy series, one negative review sends Broadway star Richard Bean (Kevin Kline) into a tailspin.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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The last game Carlsson played was a loss in Buffalo that was the Ducks’ ninth straight, a tailspin that exceeded anything the Ducks had seen in two years under Coach Joel Quenneville’s predecessor, Greg Cronin, with decidedly more lackluster rosters.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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