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
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Recent Examples of freak (out)
Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 30 Oct. 2025
Ever since Bad Bunny was announced as the Super Bowl LX halftime headliner in September, there has been a far-right freak-out.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 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
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
Noun
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
Ever since Bad Bunny was announced as the Super Bowl LX halftime headliner in September, there has been a far-right freak-out.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freak (out)
Verb
-
The clanging of dirty dishes being gathered in the back kitchen does not bother her.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Instagram and TikTok are littered with stories of women and their unsupportive husbands, men who can't remember their own children's birthdays or be bothered to take a weekend off from their golf hobby to spend time with their families.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), once the villain of the subprime meltdown, are surging in popularity as homebuyers look for savings in a high-rate era.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Dogs of Chernobyl went to the disaster site from October 5 through 13 to work on catching, sterilizing and releasing dogs that were descendants of those animals left behind when the area was evacuated in 1986 following a nuclear reactor meltdown.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
More broadly, the NBA has expressed concern about prop bets, while other sports leagues have worried about the potential for manipulation.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
After Trump spoke to Lurie, local leaders and advocates worried that Trump would shift his attention from San Francisco, which at one point hosted more billionaires than any other city, to less powerful and more diverse enclaves like Oakland and Alameda.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the Zootopia sequel directed by Jared Bush and Bryon Howard, brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), team up again to crack the most perilous and intricate case of their careers.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Democratic senators are split on whether to vote to reopen the government, but Republicans only need a handful of Democrats to crack to end the shutdown.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
That driving tension and anxiety are largely thanks to the team of artisans, which included composer Volker Bertelmann, editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Paul Ottosson, who worked closely behind the scenes on their respective crafts to bring it together.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
-
That sense of anxiety is present throughout the book, most vividly in a wide shot of a group of cheerleaders rehearsing in a gym.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sexton called for the review after hearing from owners alarmed by the rapid rise in assessed values.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The president has galvanized supporters or alarmed his opponents across the country.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Along with encouraging parishioners to pledge money, Cioffi asked them to donate their jewelry, to be melted down and fashioned into a crown to be affixed to a painting of the Virgin on the altarpiece.—
Susan Mulcahy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Vikes are in a tailspin after last week's blowout loss to the Chargers.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The torrent of billion-dollar investment announcements related to artificial intelligence has raised fears that the economy is sitting on a bubble that, if popped, could send it into a tailspin.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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