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
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
What follows is a melee of pratfalls and freak-outs, a guffaw-worthy display by such a fine group of actors.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 May 2025
Expect multiple scenes of the characters engaging in psychedelic frolics and freak-outs, some of which illustrate their backstories through sweaty, surreal vignettes.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 May 2025
Every so often, the E.R. is visited by rats, little symbols of disrepair and instigators of slapstick freak-outs.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Enter another Jamie freak-out, which seems to come out of nowhere.
—Marah Eakin, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
No one is really disputing it, but the market freak-out hinges on the truthfulness of a single and relatively unknown company.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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
What follows is a melee of pratfalls and freak-outs, a guffaw-worthy display by such a fine group of actors.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 May 2025
Expect multiple scenes of the characters engaging in psychedelic frolics and freak-outs, some of which illustrate their backstories through sweaty, surreal vignettes.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 May 2025
Every so often, the E.R. is visited by rats, little symbols of disrepair and instigators of slapstick freak-outs.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Enter another Jamie freak-out, which seems to come out of nowhere.
—Marah Eakin, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
No one is really disputing it, but the market freak-out hinges on the truthfulness of a single and relatively unknown company.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak-out
Verb
-
Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
But Bob Say, owner of Los Angeles’ Freakbeat Records, for one, isn’t all that bothered.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If Paulson's meltdown about Merrick Garland wasn't cringey enough, Peters coating his face in Cheeto dust and rattling off the President's worst one-liners sure was.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The Mets’ meltdown was a slow march to infamy.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As if the local deer population had enough to worry about as the bow hunting season begins, now a disease is spreading between them.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
-
From junior staffers worried about automation to managers fearing irrelevance, no one feels entirely safe.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Kiper said Beck is among four other quarterbacks who could crack his top five, depending on how the season plays out.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Not a single player that will likely crack the Leafs lineup.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Other benefits of acupuncture were pain intensity reduction, an improvement of physical functions, and fewer anxiety symptoms.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The stress among the friend group about their costume theme is giving me more anxiety than a haunted hayride.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Union leaders are also alarmed by new regulations announced Tuesday that increase the minimum number of workers required to form a union from 20 to 50, and raise the maximum number of unions per factory from three to five.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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European leaders, alarmed at the rise in airspace incursions and the security threat that drones pose, proposed building a drone wall to protect the region’s eastern flank against potential attacks and incursions.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As right-wingers melt down over the choice and many of Bad Bunny’s fans rejoice, what is clear is that everyone has an opinion on what is sure to be one of the most culturally significant performances in the history of the Super Bowl.—
Vanessa Diaz,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
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First, there was Jhoan Duran’s hug heard round the world, then Jax melted down in a blowout loss.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Because if this tailspin continues, the offseason changes within the organization could be wide-reaching.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The rejection sends Frankenstein’s monster into a tailspin of isolation and misery.—
Jon Michael Varese,
The Atlantic,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Freak-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak-out. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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