1
as in to erode
to consume or wear away gradually
over the span of thousands of years, the annual spring runoff fretted the rock, forming a deep channel
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction
don't let the girth fret the horse's belly or you won't be able to ride him
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
don't fret over whether it will be sunny tomorrow, as there's nothing we can do about it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in panic
a state of nervous or irritated concern
one of my customers always gets into a fret if I'm so much as 15 minutes late delivering his newspaper
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fret
Kansas City Star, 9 May 2026
Turner fretted publicly about the world’s problems.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
The tension drew the attention of Abbott’s office, which was supportive of Tips at periods but also fretting that the regulations were not coming together and state lawmakers were growing impatient, Bingaman said.
—Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
That Young isn’t yet signed has already created some angst with fans, although there’s nothing to fret over, at least not yet.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fret
Verb
No doubt there are things to fret over, data points that suggest formidable and dynamic issues looming over travel.
—Kansas City Star, 9 May 2026
Turner fretted publicly about the world’s problems.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
The tension drew the attention of Abbott’s office, which was supportive of Tips at periods but also fretting that the regulations were not coming together and state lawmakers were growing impatient, Bingaman said.
—Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
That Young isn’t yet signed has already created some angst with fans, although there’s nothing to fret over, at least not yet.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fret
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fret
Verb
-
But the premium that justifies the valuation is eroding fastest in exactly the segments the labs need to dominate.—
Deirdre Bosa,Jasmine Wu,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
-
But as deal complexity increases, speed without depth erodes trust.—
Thasha Batts,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
David Letterman and Stephen Colbert stood on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, wearing suits and clutching watermelons to their chests.—
Elahe Izadi,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
-
Bella wore a gold dress from Michael Kors's spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Plus, pet owners like myself will appreciate not having to worry about our animals being around pesticides.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
-
The band isn’t worried about label expectations or pleasing mainstream audiences.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Breathing its vapors can irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes in humans, and may cause allergic reactions.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
-
Wash your gardening tools and gloves with rubbing alcohol or soapy water to remove the plant's irritating oil.—
Caroline Biggs,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Armour hooks my arm, and the panic abates.—
Adam Erace,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
-
In the span of 2 minutes, 7 seconds, the Golden Knights turned what was expected to be a night of joyous relief into full-scale panic and disappointment.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
That means tolerating a certain level of damage from leaf-eating insects.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
The overall objective is to educate guests on how to have a sustainable and enjoyable eating plan that continues post-stay—there are optional cooking classes to help establish the ground rules.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
In recent years, that moral and political alignment has frayed.—
Michael W. Sonnenfeldt,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
-
This compact began to fray in the 2010s as the scrappy upstarts of the early days grew into globe-spanning giants with untold power and influence.—
Jonathan Weber,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Spark will monitor and organize Gmail, complete complex tasks, and manage workflows across apps – and that’s just scratching the surface.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
-
Injury note The Sox were without outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who was scratched from the starting lineup because of a lower back bruise.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fret.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fret. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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