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
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Recent Examples of frets
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
But through music, Thundercat has been able to funnel his emotions into frets and harness his natural singing prowess.
—Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 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
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
But through music, Thundercat has been able to funnel his emotions into frets and harness his natural singing prowess.
—Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 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
Verb
-
That erodes trust in the fairness of our elections and weakens confidence in our democracy.—
The Editorial Board,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
In no uncertain terms, the absence of those issues is bewildering, erodes the entire report’s credibility, and demands an explanation.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Wiley often wears her hair in a stretched state, combing through her gray coils with a blow dryer before doing a braid-out.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
29 May 2026
-
The character is an adult who drinks, wears impeccable clothing, and beds women—the familiar Bond tropes.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
And as demand continues to climb, Spicer worries about keeping up with the growing need.—
Sofia Baltodano
June 8,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
-
In a year where so many competing interests are fighting over a limited amount of state funds, Palm worries Shapiro's proposal may go overlooked by lawmakers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 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
Verb
-
McGinniss watches and lives and eats with the team, painting enchanting portraits of the team hierarchy at work over many-course meals.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens
June 8,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The screwworm is actually a fly, which produces a larva that eats live flesh instead of dead material.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 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
Verb
-
But that just scratches the surface.—
R. Scott Raynovich,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
-
Because glass scratches easily, pressure matters here.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Frets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frets. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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