FRETS Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

frets 1 of 2

noun

plural of fret

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

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frets

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fret

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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

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as in irritates

to make sore by continued rubbing the stiff, starchy collar was fretting my neck, and I couldn't wait to change out of that costume

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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 frets

Noun

On the title track Chen reaches for the psaltery (a kind of zither without frets), creating a meandering, medieval atmosphere whose ubiquitous electronic background buzz foreshadows the biting screams and blistering bass to come. — James Gui, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026 Khn plays a custom double-neck guitar-bass with twice the usual number of frets on each side, looping the two halves together in real time with foot pedals. — Josh Martin, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 This machine will actually press the strings down between frets and pluck those strings in time, like a human guitarist. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026 The viol family included larger instruments known as viols da gamba, which were played between the legs and often featured frets similar to those found on guitars. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026 The Nasdaq Composite Index has slipped nearly 3% this week as Wall Street frets over whether the trillions of dollars going into artificial intelligence will deliver the revenue and profit growth needed to justify that exorbitant cost. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 25 June 2026 Retail businesses celebrate While the central bank frets, some businesses are already preparing for these workers to spend their windfalls at their stores. — Lim Hui Jie,blair Baek, CNBC, 20 June 2026 There’s only six strings and what, 20 frets? — Charles Moss, SPIN, 9 June 2026 Naturally, Elsa frets over the situation, but their parents, preoccupied with their own divorced lives, reckon otherwise. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026

Verb

Maybe Cowboy Space is striking while the iron is hot as the space industry frets over demand for launch outpacing supply. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026 As the industry frets about consolidation, the slow decline of entertainment on broadcast TV in favor of live sports is yet another way Hollywood’s creative class is getting squeezed. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026 Kate, for her part, frets that her grieving husband is lacking male companionship. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 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

Definition of huffs

Verb

This further erodes the independence of the Justice Department.

— David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Dench was first diagnosed in 2012 with macular degeneration, a retinal disease that erodes one’s central vision and is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over 65.

— Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of erodes

Verb

Linda Noskova wears Missoni shorts and a jacket and white leather trench by The Frankie Shop; Miista boots.

— Corey Seymour, Vogue, 6 Nov. 2026
The Puch wears race-spec WP suspension forks sourced from a 1993 Aprilia RS 125 R Grand Prix racer, along with a single-sided swingarm from the same machine.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of wears

Verb

Abdi worries that Miller’s latest promotion will further anti-immigrant policies, which have long painted Iranians and other immigrant communities as threats.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Comen understands the desire for answers but worries that interpreting complex medical information without a physician’s guidance can heighten fear.

— Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

Patients may be advised to use gentle, fragrance-free products, keep the area moisturized, and avoid anything that further irritates the skin.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Knowing that Madame Lalouette’s sales numbers are too high to fire her, Carla attempts to transfer Madame Morel to a different department — a move that irritates her superiors and highlights her weakness.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritates

Noun

The elastic waistband and relaxed silhouette are as comfy as sweats but more edgy and pulled together.

— Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026
On Monday, Powlis stood before Judge Elizabeth Shamahs with a dispassionate look on his goateed face, dressed in a black fleece, black sweats and navy New Balance sneakers.

— Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sweats

Verb

Humans can safely eat them too — be careful and only with the guidance of an experienced forager who eats the first one.

— Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2026
Since one adult doe eats 6 to 10 pounds of forage per day, managing the overall deer population becomes more crucial as winter approaches.

— Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of eats

Verb

Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
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