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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of 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
The dog remained unfazed during Fowler's minor freak-out.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Noun
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
The dog remained unfazed during Fowler's minor freak-out.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak (out)
Verb
-
In a funny touch of feminist commentary, the Pounds parents are intent on their bratty son Andrew (Hamnet survivor Jacobi Jupe) getting the best possible education but less bothered about glum daughter Drissila (Evie Templeton).—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
What bothers him most, however, is the suggestion that neo-soul lacked authenticity or cultural purpose.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The Atlanta Falcons watching a 28–3 Super Bowl lead evaporate during a 2017 overtime meltdown to the New England Patriots.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
18 May 2026
-
The entire thing looked less like a professional transition and more like a reality television meltdown.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Plus, pet owners like myself will appreciate not having to worry about our animals being around pesticides.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
-
The band isn’t worried about label expectations or pleasing mainstream audiences.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Within that group are 14 newcomers who have never previously cracked the top 50 (setting aside names like Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who appeared on the list in 2024 before dropping off in 2025).—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Soon doctors and others will snatch fire axes to crack through the cabinets’ Plexiglas fronts and pry open the doors.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Renter Mandy Feng, who prefers to use a pseudonym for fear of being seen criticizing the authorities, said the stimulus the government is offering has failed to offset people’s anxiety over an uncertain economic outlook.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
As anyone who deals with anxiety knows, one of its chief triggers is uncertainty.—
Tom Dotan,
Vanity Fair,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement Mallory’s ruthlessness in the custody fight begins to alarm wishy-washy Karl.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 May 2026
-
For the last several months, wildlife experts have been alarmed by a large influx of dead and emaciated seabirds washing up on California beaches.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The internet melted down this week because Rodrigo chose to have a sense of fashion.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Beijing also made a clear warning that the Taiwan issue would be a determining factor that could push the bilateral ties into a tailspin.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
Monday’s announcement sent logistics stocks in a tailspin, with GXO shares plummeting more than 17 percent during the day.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
