1
as in anxiety
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
the sight of the headless horseman filled the schoolmaster with fear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worry
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
fear for her family's safety drove her to seek help from neighbors she hardly knew
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fear
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Orr’s study also found that even as silence about climate change can spiral into deeper fears of speaking out, speaking about the issue can drive a spiral toward further discussion and action — and that individual conversations can play a surprisingly large role.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Experts fear that such a boost in demand for Brazilian soy, coupled with moves to cut environmental policies in soy-producing Brazilian states, could drive further deforestation.
—Sarah Sax, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Noun
Creating a culture of fear by persecuting unpopular individuals and groups?
—Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Orr’s study also found that even as silence about climate change can spiral into deeper fears of speaking out, speaking about the issue can drive a spiral toward further discussion and action — and that individual conversations can play a surprisingly large role.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
Some public service workers on the verge of retirement or career changes are postponing those plans, fearing that a job switch could jeopardize their PSLF eligibility while their forgiveness applications languish.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Experts fear that such a boost in demand for Brazilian soy, coupled with moves to cut environmental policies in soy-producing Brazilian states, could drive further deforestation.
—Sarah Sax, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
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Consumer sentiment fell sharply in April, marking the fourth consecutive month of declines, as an intensifying trade war fueled anxiety over American jobs and rising inflation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Is loyalty to an old friend and/or anxiety about having a kid reason enough to spend a day or two away from a wife who could go into labor at any minute?—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This is important because lower yields can help the economy and are the typical bond reaction during worries about economic growth.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Bits and pieces to friends, tender moments and worries to others.—
Kristina Goetz,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Now, in the case of the United States, there’s no concern whatsoever with what anybody thinks on the outside.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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That’s a major concern for media as advertisers review budgets.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For many, as the rain kept falling, there was a sense of dread that the worst was still to come.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2025
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Thus, the fear of displacement has not become a distant memory but a continuous dread as the age of gentrification looms over the neighborhood.—
Alyza J Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Even when upheaval isn’t imminent within your organization, broad societal and economic shifts can create a sense of unease, as external stressors inevitably impact workplace morale.—
Michael McFall,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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What is new, however, is the atmosphere of unease ushered in by Donald Trump’s return to power.—
Alex Ashley,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trump faces growing pushback from his own party The markets were still in a panic on Monday when an unverified report circulated that the president was considering a 90-day pause on the tariffs.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
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Two more came in July of 2002, when panic over corporate fraud set-off by Enron’s collapse the year before, finally eased.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The suspect is now facing charges of assault with bodily injury with a previous conviction, injury to the elderly, continuous violence against family, resisting arrest and terror threat of family, McLennan County Jail records seen by PEOPLE show.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The report was commissioned after the deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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