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)
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
-
That didn’t bother the three roaches crawling on the floor by a carbon dioxide tank inside the storage room behind the office.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Other clips don’t even bother rendering a proper baby.—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 12,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ed Yardeni updated his outlook and raised the probability of a market meltdown to 35% for the rest of the year, up from 20% previously.—
Nasteho Said,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Given the persistent threat, the president of Yardeni Research hiked the probability of a stock market meltdown that includes 1970s-style stagflation to 35% this year from 20%.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For the first time, there appears to be a commitment that Foxboro will incur no cost and will not have to worry about reimbursement processes.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t worry—there’s something for every type of traveler.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These images are perplexing, thrilling—visual nuts to crack.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Grout's biggest challenge is cracking from improper installation or too much moisture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The president is fighting against historical headwinds for the party in power and, like President Joe Biden before him, is navigating voter anxiety about the cost of living in America.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Mar. 2026
-
In a year where anxiety over studio contraction and the rise of artificial intelligence often consumed the industry, both films gave Hollywood fresh hope.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Yet the price of gas seems likely to keep rising, which alarms Republicans.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Additionally, in the past year, board members have spent countless hours searching for a permanent CPS superintendent only to watch the process melt down as applicants withdrew their names and CTU and the mayor meddled.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The snowpack acts as a natural water storage system for California, and ideally when the region’s climate shifts from cold to warm and dry, the snow gradually melts down from rivers and creeks to fill reservoirs over a period of months.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At the story’s start Mathilda happens upon a new Transfixion, the obscure Black modernist poet Hermia Druitt, who sends her into a tailspin unlike any who came before.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The tailspin began on a Thursday night, with a Lions-Cowboys game.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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