How to Use fear for in a Sentence

fear for

phrasal verb
Definition of fear fornext
  • The driver feared for her life and got out of the vehicle.
    — James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024
  • Lives were lost and the vice president was in fear for his life.
    — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2024
  • Ex-Illinois deputy shot Sonya Massey out of fear for his life.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2024
  • The actions left the plaintiff in fear for her safety, if not her life, the suit said.
    — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024
  • But inspired stand-ups shouldn’t fear for their jobs — yet.
    — Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023
  • There is shock, grief, fear for the future, worry, anger.
    — Dede Henley, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
  • His ex-wife, Tasha Adams fears for her life and the lives of their children if Rhodes is pardoned.
    — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Now these Haitian immigrants fear for their lives, and for the lives of their children.
    — Roxane Gay, The New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2024
  • But could Lyle and Erik Menendez have truly been in fear for their lives that night?
    — Natalie Morales, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024
  • Nichols recalled fearing for her life and the life of her son Jelani, who was then a child.
    — Essence, 16 Dec. 2024
  • The fear for reformists is that the latter fades in memory.
    — Charlie Campbell, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
  • Police said the officer feared for his life and shot Omtvedt.
    — Elena Santa Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 29 Aug. 2023
  • After a brief struggle, the cousin took the weapon from his would-be assailant and pulled the trigger out of fear for his life.
    — Aisha Braveboy, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2024
  • Facts: Client fled her home country with her minor child out of fear for her life.
    — Lourdes Casanova, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2024
  • The motorist did not want to show up at the scene to identify the shooter out of fear for his safety.
    — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2024
  • But teachers do not sign up — should not sign up — for fear: fear for their safety.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Many Afghans who worked for the US but were unable to escape Afghanistan now live in hiding, in fear for their lives.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Many Jewish students have been living in fear for more than a year.
    — Fox News Staff, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2025
  • If the agent who opened fire on the would-be thieves feared for his life, or the life of someone else, he would have been justified in the shooting.
    — Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 18 Nov. 2023
  • In 1932, fearing for the safety of his daughter and grandson, Trotsky told them to go to Berlin.
    — Phil Davison, Washington Post, 22 June 2023
  • For 18 months, the teammates fought for their lives, feared for their lives, and sometimes, feared one another.
    — Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Abraham said he was forced to cancel his flight back to Israel out of fear for his safety.
    — Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024
  • The teller feared for their safety and complied with the demands, Elk Grove police said.
    — Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 3 May 2024
  • Now the fear for their fans is that Clinton may also see her own future elsewhere.
    — Asif Burhan, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
  • The main fear for markets of all stripes is that the new French government drives the country deeper into debt.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 28 June 2024
  • That’s the magnificent solace of Chekhov, the knowledge that no one is alone in their fears for the future or pining for the past.
    — Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Hayes' defense said that Smith feared for his life and was acting in self-defense by shooting Smith.
    — Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024
  • Gómez Trejo moved to the U.S. with his wife and child, fearing for his family’s safety.
    — Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
  • But on the other, the superstition surrounding the Madden curse has struck a bit of fear for some in the 49er faithful.
    — Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 13 June 2024
  • David did leave, but returned, fearing for his daughter’s safety.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fear for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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