as in panics
a state of nervous or irritated concern
one of my customers always gets into a fret if I'm so much as 15 minutes late delivering his newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in erodes
to consume or wear away gradually
over the span of thousands of years, the annual spring runoff fretted the rock, forming a deep channel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wears
to damage or diminish by continued friction
don't let the girth fret the horse's belly or you won't be able to ride him
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in worries
to experience concern or anxiety
don't fret over whether it will be sunny tomorrow, as there's nothing we can do about it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frets
Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Yet Stastny frets about the electronic future.
—Michael Weissenstein, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
At the time, Gibson, the guitar company, had a high-end outlet at the adjacent Opry Mills Mall, and Hull stopped in with her father to get some new frets on her mandolin.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
But the good-neighbor vibe is starting to sour as Colombia frets about river access.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
As Kirk frets about commanding a hybrid Farragut–Enterprise (but mostly Enterprise) crew, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and Chapel arrive with an assessment of the situation.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Every generation finds new ways to parent, and every generation frets about it.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
The car, a 1970 Cadillac Eldorado that was modified to include strings and frets, was driven once by Elvis Presley during a concert in Las Vegas.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Yet Stastny frets about the electronic future.
—Michael Weissenstein, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
At the time, Gibson, the guitar company, had a high-end outlet at the adjacent Opry Mills Mall, and Hull stopped in with her father to get some new frets on her mandolin.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
But the good-neighbor vibe is starting to sour as Colombia frets about river access.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
As Kirk frets about commanding a hybrid Farragut–Enterprise (but mostly Enterprise) crew, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and Chapel arrive with an assessment of the situation.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Baelor’s brother, Maekar — who actually delivered the killing blow — also frets over how Duncan has changed the course of history.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Every generation finds new ways to parent, and every generation frets about it.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frets
Verb
-
When people fear being replaced or don’t know what’s coming, trust erodes.—
Michael Bush,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Others contend that legitimizing him erodes Democratic credibility on antisemitism and other issues, handing Republicans ammunition heading into the midterms.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The figure set for the Orlando location wears a suit inspired by Liu’s look at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Per tradition, Camilla also wears a Welsh gold band.—
Jessica Gibbs,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wade reportedly worries audiences may think her performances are imitating an idea Swift created due to the 14-time Grammy Award winning singer’s enormous popularity.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Much of what the farms sell is on contract with prices already set, which means those costs will have to be absorbed for now, said Parra, who worries many state crops could see lower sales as prices eventually rise in markets.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Castor Oil Castor oil irritates the digestive system of the moles and makes the soil less inviting to them.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Weed pollen typically irritates people in the late summer and early fall.—
Seth Jacobson,
wickedlocal.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For anyone who eats outdoors along Miami-Dade’s coastline, the findings offer a new way to understand the gulls circling overhead.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Because of that, Moody’s has taken a number of downward ratings actions against producers, because the oversupply eats away at margins and the capacity to pay debt is eroding.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This particular aspect of the show frays the gripping tone that had been so masterfully crafted from its opening scene.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, beautiful and successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That only scratches the surface of Dolphins possibilities in free agency.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Keep clean door mats inside and outside entrance areas to trap gritty dirt that scratches floors.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As much as Payton bristles about media storylines and huffs about tempo questions, the Broncos went 25 minutes without a first down against Las Vegas.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frets. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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