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
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
-
The women were too busy cooking, crafting, and caring for the family to bother with the stone tools used by men in hunting and building.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
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Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Cryer is similarly observant toward Sheen’s extended public meltdown, an early inflection point in the social media era in which onlookers got an exhilarating blow-by-blow of one man’s downward spiral.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
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Elsewhere in the book, Sheen writes about his public meltdown amid his firing from his hit CBS sitcom, blaming his rage on testosterone cream.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Wildfire worries With the worsening drought comes worries over wildfires.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The airline's fall from grace should worry anyone with loyalty to the brand.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even some of the most successful K-pop artists in America have yet to crack one of Billboard’s radio lists, or to land a major win.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Thanks to the flaw, the hackers were able to crack the credentials and gain administrative privileges to accounts on Ascension’s Microsoft Active Directory server, which can be harnessed to manage user accounts and applications over a company’s network.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Add in the possibility of more extensive – and costly – work such as bridges, crowns, extractions or implants, and the anxiety can grow even stronger.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The enthusiasm around personal curriculums and independent learning might reflect modern-day anxieties.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The growing interest in geoengineering has alarmed some scientists, including Martin Siegert, a glaciologist at the University of Exeter in England and lead author of the new study.—
Alec Luhn,
Scientific American,
11 Sep. 2025
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Continue reading … SHEEN COMES CLEAN – Charlie Sheen reveals how his massive drug habit alarmed the drug cartel supplying him.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some teams look fantastic before melting down within a few weeks (2024 New Orleans Saints) and others can get off to a rough start before blossoming within the first two months (2024 Washington Commanders).—
Mike Kaye
September 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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Mickey Gasper drove in a career-high three runs, and Matt Wallner hit his 21st home run of the season, but Minnesota’s bullpen melted down in the seventh inning and the White Sox rallied to sweep a four-game series with a 11-8 victory Thursday at nearly empty Target Field.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But modern-day challenges have forced leaders into a tailspin and turned leadership into a losing game.—
Dr. Adil Dalal,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The potential appointment of Stephen Miran , a Trump nominee who has his Senate Banking Committee hearing scheduled on Sept. 4, could also throw Wall Street into a tailspin next week.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Freak-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak-out. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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