How to Use for fear of in a Sentence

for fear of

phrase
  • Many may not ask about lead for fear of being passed over for the next person in line.
    — Peter F. Neronha, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2023
  • None would comment on the record for fear of losing future work.
    — Aïda Amer, Axios, 16 July 2024
  • Two of them did not want to be identified for fear of backlash.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Teams avoid playing their starters and elite backups for fear of injury.
    — Steve Silverman, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
  • No one was shaking anyone's hand then, for fear of spreading the virus.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, USA TODAY, 28 June 2024
  • Some don't even want to test their water, for fear of unearthing the problem.
    — Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
  • King has an outspoken fear of flying, and doesn't have her ears pierced for fear of the pain.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The protester asked not to be named for fear of government reprisal.
    — Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The two people spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
    — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Migrants sometimes don’t report to court for fear of losing their case.
    — Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
  • The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
    — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Yet the man insisted on anonymity, for fear of losing friends.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023
  • Since the dawn of haircuts, commitment-phobes have avoided bangs for fear of the grow-out process.
    — Grace McCarty, Glamour, 13 Jan. 2026
  • However, most tend to avoid using the color for fear of coming off too much.
    — Celeste Polanco, Essence, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Because of that mist, all of the townspeople are being held for fear of dark magic.
    — USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2023
  • The women hid their shirts under their hoodies for fear of being removed from the venue.
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
  • Not even the island gangs operate boats anymore for fear of the Qin coast guard.
    — Hazlitt, 13 May 2025
  • The cousin spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
    — Collin Binkley, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025
  • The man’s family asked that his name not be used for fear of retribution.
    — Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Since then, the Palestinians have avoided the gate for fear of being shot.
    — Ben Hubbard Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 1 June 2024
  • At the same time, seniors are afraid to complain for fear of repercussions, speakers said.
    — Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
  • But in combat units, many troops still don’t report injuries for fear of being put on the sidelines.
    — Dave Philipps, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Not for fear of a thunderbolt hurtling through the blue sky and, punitively, creasing his skull.
    — Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • George allowed his wife to cultivate few close friendships, for fear of favoritism.
    — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2023
  • The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
    — Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2024
  • The employees spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
    — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The volunteer spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
    — ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The same colleagues were yet to watch the finale, and for fear of being spoiled, refused to help with my research.
    — Thomas Page, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Who has to hesitate for a half-second for fear of the quarterback taking off.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'for fear of.' 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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