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
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
But the good-neighbor vibe is starting to sour as Colombia frets about river access.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
As Kirk frets about commanding a hybrid Farragut–Enterprise (but mostly Enterprise) crew, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and Chapel arrive with an assessment of the situation.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 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
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
But the good-neighbor vibe is starting to sour as Colombia frets about river access.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
As Kirk frets about commanding a hybrid Farragut–Enterprise (but mostly Enterprise) crew, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and Chapel arrive with an assessment of the situation.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 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
-
Inconsistent tone weakens the brand, while inaccurate content or misaligned personalization erodes customer trust and costs conversions.—
Georg Ell,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Democrats plan to push weekly war powers votes and military funding limits as Republican support erodes, partly driven by concerns about rising gas prices heading into November elections.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Julianne Hough wears her shorty-shorts to show off her glorious dancer legs at the Disney Upfront in New York City on May 12.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Most of the shirts Mason wears follow a visual script that is different from your standardized button-downs.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Verb
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But this ambitious vision, which many in the sector think will become reality sooner or later, worries atmospheric researchers.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
Although consumer spending — which accounts for roughly two-thirds of economic activity — has largely held up this year, Ajilore worries that could change quickly.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
-
Daisy is caught so off guard that her first reaction is to laugh, which irritates Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Reservation systems, walk-in strategies and cash-only policies shape who eats where, and that exclusivity is exactly what draws the celebrity crowd.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 May 2026
-
Inflation eats away at the value of your dollar.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
18 May 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
-
Mobley departed with deep, visible scratches down the left side of his face, souvenirs from another street fight.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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Last, but certainly not least from the Article Memorial Day sale, the brand’s Torme desk scratches the itch for office furniture that isn’t sterile or corporate-looking.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
11 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 20 May. 2026.
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