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 Heat’s third matchup of the season against the Raptors didn’t go well either, as Toronto’s length on the defensive end again bothered Miami.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Along the way, Melton strained his left thumb — and that clearly bothered him.—
Ron Kroichick,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the timing of this meltdown was brutal.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
And then there was the foul trouble, which seemed to be the issue at the root of Auriemma’s bizarre late-game meltdown toward Staley.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Murray worries about upholding his best friend’s wishes.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Horner also talked about being concerned about losing his job, wanting to see his child and worrying about what was going to happen to him, Espinoza said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There are candidates on the bench to still crack the postseason rotation if needed, too.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
After each meal the Philadelphia native, now in his late 30s, would crack open a fortune cookie, reading the tiny paper with its words of wisdom on one side and a string of lucky numbers on the other.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Last year’s Public Service Commission flips were a blaring warning sign in a cycle dominated by voter anxiety over affordability and utility costs.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
For weeks, Hilton and Bianco have led polls while eight prominent Democrats including Swalwell split the support of liberal voters, stoking anxiety among Democrats that the party could end up shut out of the November election.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Aside from the primary deficit, economists are also alarmed by the interest payments now required to service the debt—estimated to come in at more than $1 trillion this year.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The Rajput rulers of the Shivalik Hills, alarmed by the growing Sikh influence in the region, had sought Aurangzeb’s assistance after failed attempts to dislodge the Guru from Anandpur, Punjab.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 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 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
-
In the film, Zendaya's Emma reveals her deepest, darkest secret to her fiancé, which sends their relationship and upcoming wedding into a tailspin.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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