FEARS Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

fears

verb

present tense third-person singular of fear

as in worries

to experience concern or anxiety her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fears Security fears on the rise The aircraft reportedly departed quickly enough that aerial refueling tankers were still being organized to support their flights across the Atlantic. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026 There’s a primitive part of our brains that still fears being eaten by something bigger than us. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 Africa’s data centers prompt water consumption fears Concerns are rising in Africa about the potential water use by data centers. — Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 However, the chips can process large amounts of data and train large language models, which the US fears could pose national security risks if China suddenly gets access to enough chips to drastically advance its AI or strengthen its military. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 The French government fears that the situation could escalate if disparate protests converge. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 The Bengals defense may be improved, but given their abysmal man-coverage stats, they aren’t equipped to withstand a Jags attack that specializes in putting defenders in constant conflict and is captained by a quarterback who suddenly fears no one. — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Wall Street indices opened higher following slight gains in Europe and a mixed performance in Asia, against a backdrop of rising government bond yields and persistent inflation fears. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 25 Sep. 2026 Likud fears an influx of Israeli expats could help the opposition parties in a close election. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fears

worries

Verb

Wilner-Deering worries that the attention paid to Epstein’s associates has crowded out what survivors have said happened to them.

— Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
The Iranian regime also worries that its favorable position will not last forever.

— Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026