1
as in eroded
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 wore
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 worried
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of fretted
In it, Heuermann complained about jail food and exercise conditions and fretted that guards might be reading his mail.
—
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
Ever since the proposal was first brought forward, local officials have fretted over its potential impacts on operations and services — albeit with an incomplete picture of its impacts.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026
For months, Democrats publicly fretted that the fractured field of candidates could lead to a Republican-on-Republican runoff, locking the party out of the governor’s mansion for the first time in two decades.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026
In his encyclical, Leo fretted about multiple ongoing wars, lamented the decline of multilateral coalitions and blasted arms industry profits as driving the conflicts.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Multiple Wall Street firms fretted about the company's long-term growth prospects in the face of AI.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Turner fretted publicly about the world’s problems.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
And many, in a district in which more than 86% of students are low-income, fretted about feeding their kids.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
On a recent morning, Alexandre Joseph, 35, fretted about his family’s future in a loud voice, attracting the attention of passersby in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
—Evens Sanon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
Ever since the proposal was first brought forward, local officials have fretted over its potential impacts on operations and services — albeit with an incomplete picture of its impacts.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026
For months, Democrats publicly fretted that the fractured field of candidates could lead to a Republican-on-Republican runoff, locking the party out of the governor’s mansion for the first time in two decades.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026
In his encyclical, Leo fretted about multiple ongoing wars, lamented the decline of multilateral coalitions and blasted arms industry profits as driving the conflicts.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Multiple Wall Street firms fretted about the company's long-term growth prospects in the face of AI.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Turner fretted publicly about the world’s problems.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
And many, in a district in which more than 86% of students are low-income, fretted about feeding their kids.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
On a recent morning, Alexandre Joseph, 35, fretted about his family’s future in a loud voice, attracting the attention of passersby in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
—Evens Sanon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretted
Verb
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The oil supply shock caused by the Iran war has eroded global demand for crude — but a lasting resolution to the conflict could drive a surge in supply volumes and trigger a major oil overhang next year, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
Israel’s failed forever wars in Iran and Lebanon have further eroded Netanyahu’s prospects.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Trudeau embraced the Southern California vibes and wore a green T-shirt with black shorts and a pair of dark sunglasses.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
Flockhart looked pretty in pink next to Ford, who wore a classic tux, at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
But local opposition has been rising too, with communities worried about the power and water demands of the centers, as well as any potential health effects.—
Asia Alexander,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
People who worried that recycling or reselling a device would compromise their data were 14% and 9% more likely to store it instead.—
Eric Williams,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Hasslers, the researchers found, tended to be people who irritated the study respondents but whom the respondents could not escape.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
-
But one snafu irritated a sizable portion of the more than 3,000 students gathered at Arie Crown Theater to hear the astronauts discuss their mission.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
On one day in late December, Eden barely ate all day.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
5 Aug. 2025
-
While neither is an effective big league pitcher at this point, those moves ate into the Yankees’ limited rotation depth.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Meloni is astonished and defiant Trump’s posturing underscored how his alliance with Meloni — who has long been seen as one of his closest friends in Europe — has frayed over his war in Iran, his tariffs against Europe and his complaints when anyone disagrees with him.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
There has long been a bipartisan consensus around supporting Israel in Washington, but that has frayed in recent years.—
Kelvin Chan,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Loftis has his own traumatic history with the town of Widow’s Bay, but remains skeptical until he is scratched by an ethereal creature on a foggy night.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
-
The Tigers scratched starter Troy Melton with back tightness before the game, forcing a bullpen outing that allowed seven hits combined.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Chemical filters, such as avobenzone, octocrylene and homosalate, appear clear when rubbed on the skin but sometimes feel oily.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
9 June 2026
-
The good times keep rolling through the commercial breaks, as A-listers rubbed elbows, and at the afterparties, where the big stars enjoyed burgers from Shake Shack and got their drink on.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fretted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretted. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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