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
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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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of fear
Oleksandr Sheremeta, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The long-lasting falsehoods about the 2020 election, including former President Trump’s persistent claim President Biden stole the last election, has sparked fears that misinformation and disinformation could rapidly spread online and sow distrust in the official electoral process.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Key Background Some elections and social media experts fear the election denial movement, which culminated in various legal challenges to the results of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, is more organized ahead of this year’s election.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fear 
Noun
These different concerns have one thing in common—the fear of losing control over the AI system and the results of its work.
—Oleksandr Sheremeta, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The long-lasting falsehoods about the 2020 election, including former President Trump’s persistent claim President Biden stole the last election, has sparked fears that misinformation and disinformation could rapidly spread online and sow distrust in the official electoral process.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
More than one commentator has compared the sense of crisis and fear that pervades America’s fragmented political culture to the situation in Weimar Germany in the years before that democratic government gave way to authoritarianism.
—Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Key Background Some elections and social media experts fear the election denial movement, which culminated in various legal challenges to the results of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, is more organized ahead of this year’s election.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
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Psychiatric problems — marked anxiety or panic attacks progressing to temporary psychosis and even schizophrenia-like psychotic illness — are presenting more frequently in emergency rooms.Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Climate Denial as a Defense Mechanism Much like a terror management lab experiment – or the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic– natural disasters like hurricanes Helene and Milton trigger death anxiety.Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Professor Ned Foley, the director of the election-law program at Ohio State University, told me that his biggest worry this year was a new deadline of December 16th.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
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Election seasons often evoke a mix of emotions, ranging from hope for the future to intense worry over what may come.Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The company has extended its liquidation date to December 15, 2024, and management has raised concerns about the company's ability to continue as a going concern due to insufficient working capital and mandatory liquidation.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
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However, District 9 Councilmember Pam Foley, who represents the area where the hospital is located, declined to support the deferral request and echoed the concerns over how delays could negatively impact the community.Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Mondays used to fill many of us with dread at the thought of returning to a rigid office environment.Steve Osler, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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New developments in generative AI have sparked existential dread in many film professionals, who fear that their jobs could someday be rendered obsolete.Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Hanan Townshend’s score, with its heavy, rhythmic breathing and ethereal tones, cultivates a constant atmosphere of unease.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
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Voters interviewed at polling sites described going to cast their ballots with a deep sense of unease.Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The first bird of the day never fails to throw me into a panic.Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024
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Owners are often advised to keep their pets indoors and in a safe place if fireworks are going to be let off in their local area, to prevent any panic in the pet.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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At a rally in North Carolina last week, Trump mentioned Obama getting back on the trail and made his voice tremble in fake terror before dismissing him.Alex Thompson, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
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In four days, the coin will land, and half of the country will either exhale with relief or shudder in terror.Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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