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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of freak (out)
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
The situation at the heart of the movie goes from bad to worse along a linear trajectory, but the horror freak-out promised by its eeriest moments never really bothers to materialize.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025
There's not the same freak-out about immigration in Canada.
—Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2016
But the Democratic freak-out commenced soon after Biden came to the stage.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 1 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
Noun
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
The situation at the heart of the movie goes from bad to worse along a linear trajectory, but the horror freak-out promised by its eeriest moments never really bothers to materialize.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025
There's not the same freak-out about immigration in Canada.
—Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2016
But the Democratic freak-out commenced soon after Biden came to the stage.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 1 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
-
That doesn’t mean the implication doesn’t bother him.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
-
Or Xander Schauffele, the defending PGA champion who is surely not bothered by the lack of attention on him early this week.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Newark has been in various stages of meltdown since April 28, when a temporary radio and radar outage briefly caused controllers to lose track of and communication with incoming flights.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
-
The Royals took advantage of a late defensive meltdown and scored twice in the ninth to defeat the Sox 4-3 in front of 15,968 at Kauffman Stadium.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2025
Verb
-
Long term, some economists worry the back-and-forth on tariffs could strain relationships between the U.S. and its trading partners.—
Bailey Schulz,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
-
According to Stines' attorney, Jeremy Bartley, in the several days before the deposition, Stines had become extremely paranoid, sleepless, and worried about the safety of his family.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2025
Verb
-
This offbeat, easygoing ride includes stops to sample tropical fruits (freshly cracked coconut, mangoes, and key limes), facts and sightings of tropical flora, and cruises down side streets showcasing Key West’s diverse residential architecture (Shotgun, Bahamian, and Conch-style).—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
8 May 2025
-
And yet, no brand has cracked the code on making Chinese viral, relevant, and emotionally sticky (like manga did for Japanese or K-pop did for Korean).—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Margin anxiety nonetheless prompted HF Sinclair to pause what had been a budding streak of annual dividend hikes since a little before the corporate merger.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
-
As reported by First Post, Poland is holding a presidential election against a backdrop of growing security concerns, fueled by the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine and anxiety over a potential U.S. retreat from European defense commitments under President Donald Trump.—
Emma Marsden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
Verb
-
Democrats and some Republicans are also alarmed over the ethics of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign country.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
The rapid expansion of the Camp House Fire, Jenkins Creek Fire and Munger Shaw Fire has alarmed officials.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Verb
-
Luigi Mangione musical already sold out, opening in San Francisco Liberals melt down over Donald Trump as Pope, star wars Jedi; MAGA as fandom?—
The Hill,
The Hill,
5 May 2025
-
The precious metal isn’t just a superfluous adornment; it’s seen as a liquid asset: something that can be traded, act as collateral or melted down and sold.—
Sadiya Ansari Spandita Malik,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Key Background Trump announced a new slate of tariffs against all U.S. trading partners on April 2, sending stock markets in the U.S. and abroad into a tailspin, fueling recession fears and prompting some of his allies in the business community to speak out against the policy.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
-
Bobby’s death is going to send every other character on this show into an emotional tailspin, and who knows what could emerge from that?—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Freak (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freak%20%28out%29. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share