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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fretted
Physicians and engineers alike fretted about the high stakes if a system malfunctioned.
—
Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
Coen himself fretted a little over some of the script’s more outrageous moments.
—Luna Adler, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
For months, Wall Street commentators have fretted that the artificial intelligence boom looks like a bubble, with capital spending – which some analysts estimate could reach $3 trillion by 2028 – fattening a few mega-cap firms, while lower-income workers suffer from a slack labor market.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Before turning on the water for the field, the foreman of Tibbitts’ farm fretted building a makeshift levee to keep the water from running too deep at the field’s lowest point.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
What's particularly telling is that while Cain fretted about the new movie's immigrant themes possibly hurting domestic box office, Superman has actually performed well domestically but struggled internationally.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
After that loss, OpenAI appears to have pivoted and is now doing everything in its power to limit the number of logs accessed in the case—short of settling—as its customers fretted over serious privacy concerns.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
China's benchmark blue chip index fell 3% in January as investors fretted over the increasingly volatile macro outlook and Beijing's tepid policy response.
—Jiaxing Li, Reuters, 5 Feb. 2025
Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
Coen himself fretted a little over some of the script’s more outrageous moments.
—Luna Adler, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
For months, Wall Street commentators have fretted that the artificial intelligence boom looks like a bubble, with capital spending – which some analysts estimate could reach $3 trillion by 2028 – fattening a few mega-cap firms, while lower-income workers suffer from a slack labor market.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Before turning on the water for the field, the foreman of Tibbitts’ farm fretted building a makeshift levee to keep the water from running too deep at the field’s lowest point.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
What's particularly telling is that while Cain fretted about the new movie's immigrant themes possibly hurting domestic box office, Superman has actually performed well domestically but struggled internationally.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
After that loss, OpenAI appears to have pivoted and is now doing everything in its power to limit the number of logs accessed in the case—short of settling—as its customers fretted over serious privacy concerns.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
China's benchmark blue chip index fell 3% in January as investors fretted over the increasingly volatile macro outlook and Beijing's tepid policy response.
—Jiaxing Li, Reuters, 5 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretted
Verb
-
This has eroded the cash flow and equity farmers need to withstand changes in the market.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and soaring food prices have eroded political and consumer appetite for sustainability.—
Bloomberg News,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ashley Graham Ashley Graham wore a black two-piece, paired with black open-toed heels and black angel wings while appearing on the catwalk.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Lee wore a red polo shirt and an old-school New York Giants cap (repping the baseball team, not the football team).—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Her mother-in-law tried to help by offering to take care of the dogs herself, but the woman worried that would be too much to ask.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
For employees worried that AI agents could take their jobs, one of the field’s leading founders says the technology is still far from perfect.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The decision by Aaron Turner, Kuminga’s agent, to go on a media tour in recent weeks while negotiating publicly in hopes of landing a better offer for Kuminga, irritated some with the organization, according to league sources.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
And the web designer from South Dakota certainly must have irritated her former final two ally Vince Panaro on her way out of the Big Brother house.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
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
-
Many preventative care services are covered, at least partially, by insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but experts say that net of protection has frayed over the years.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The roots frayed with nowhere to go.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Babycatcher took the writing implements and, holding the pen like a farmer holds his fork, scratched down barely legible numbers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Mukhamadullin has been scratched for the last two games, and Desharnais still hasn’t played this season.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tom rubbed the back of his neck.—
Bob Cary,
Outdoor Life,
15 Oct. 2025
-
All other produce can be gently rubbed while being rinsed.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fretted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretted. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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