as in panics
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in erodes
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wears
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 worries
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of frets
Charles Moss, SPIN, 9 June 2026
The height of the frets directly determines action.
—New Atlas, 18 May 2026
Naturally, Elsa frets over the situation, but their parents, preoccupied with their own divorced lives, reckon otherwise.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
This mandolin is quite different from my flat-back, the strings closer together, the arm shorter, the frets more tightly spaced.
—Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Melbourne cafe owner Michael Hannah looks over the half-empty lunchtime tables and frets how much worse things will be when the state government enshrines a world-first right to work-from-home later this year.
—Joe Flynn, Bloomberg, 1 Apr. 2026
The car, a 1970 Cadillac Eldorado that was modified to include strings and frets, was driven once by Elvis Presley during a concert in Las Vegas.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Yet Stastny frets about the electronic future.
—Michael Weissenstein, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
At the time, Gibson, the guitar company, had a high-end outlet at the adjacent Opry Mills Mall, and Hull stopped in with her father to get some new frets on her mandolin.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Every generation finds new ways to parent, and every generation frets about it.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
There’s only six strings and what, 20 frets?
—Charles Moss, SPIN, 9 June 2026
The height of the frets directly determines action.
—New Atlas, 18 May 2026
Naturally, Elsa frets over the situation, but their parents, preoccupied with their own divorced lives, reckon otherwise.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
This mandolin is quite different from my flat-back, the strings closer together, the arm shorter, the frets more tightly spaced.
—Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Melbourne cafe owner Michael Hannah looks over the half-empty lunchtime tables and frets how much worse things will be when the state government enshrines a world-first right to work-from-home later this year.
—Joe Flynn, Bloomberg, 1 Apr. 2026
The car, a 1970 Cadillac Eldorado that was modified to include strings and frets, was driven once by Elvis Presley during a concert in Las Vegas.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Yet Stastny frets about the electronic future.
—Michael Weissenstein, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
At the time, Gibson, the guitar company, had a high-end outlet at the adjacent Opry Mills Mall, and Hull stopped in with her father to get some new frets on her mandolin.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
Verb
Baelor’s brother, Maekar — who actually delivered the killing blow — also frets over how Duncan has changed the course of history.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Every generation finds new ways to parent, and every generation frets about it.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frets
Noun
-
David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As much as Payton bristles about media storylines and huffs about tempo questions, the Broncos went 25 minutes without a first down against Las Vegas.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Performance can remain visible even while relational health erodes.—
Britton Bloch,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Multiple groups complained that the amendment erodes CPUC’s oversight authority, unfairly benefits big companies such as A&T and would lead to a host of potential problems hurting customers in rural as well as urban areas.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The formula leaves skin with a velvety matte, poreless finish and wears beautifully under makeup thanks to its blurring effect.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
-
Kate Middleton often wears styles in bright, bold colors with contrasting white collars and cuffs, an element Diana also often employed.—
Giorgia Olivieri,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Rebecca worries about her husband, whose work as a mechanic can be dangerous.—
Andrew Jones,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Greene worries that rising prices and the disappearance of mass-market paperbacks could create a future where fewer readers take chances on unfamiliar authors.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Elsa’s inquisitive presence almost instantly irritates Amalia, as the latter refuses to simply acquiesce to her relentless quizzing.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Then there’s the sportswear component with polos, sweaters, sport shirts, hoodies and sweats.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
-
He was dressed casually, in a green suède jacket and black sweats, but his watch was heavily iced with diamonds, as was a chain around his neck.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The average American eats about 18 pounds of ice cream, or about 4 gallons, each year, according to the IDFA.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Everyone eats the same meal, including the teachers, and the guests, who may be surprised that the children have cleared their plates of these vegetables.—
Adam Yamaguchi,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The coalition of supporters frays Still another issue is conflict within the legalization movement itself, particularly between the business and activist wings.—
William Garriott,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2026
-
This particular aspect of the show frays the gripping tone that had been so masterfully crafted from its opening scene.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frets. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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