1
as in eroded
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wore
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 worried
to experience concern or anxiety
don't fret over whether it will be sunny tomorrow, as there's nothing we can do about it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fretted
Before turning on the water for the field, the foreman of Tibbitts’ farm fretted building a makeshift levee to keep the water from running too deep at the field’s lowest point.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
What's particularly telling is that while Cain fretted about the new movie's immigrant themes possibly hurting domestic box office, Superman has actually performed well domestically but struggled internationally.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
After that loss, OpenAI appears to have pivoted and is now doing everything in its power to limit the number of logs accessed in the case—short of settling—as its customers fretted over serious privacy concerns.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
China's benchmark blue chip index fell 3% in January as investors fretted over the increasingly volatile macro outlook and Beijing's tepid policy response.
—Jiaxing Li, Reuters, 5 Feb. 2025
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
What's particularly telling is that while Cain fretted about the new movie's immigrant themes possibly hurting domestic box office, Superman has actually performed well domestically but struggled internationally.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
After that loss, OpenAI appears to have pivoted and is now doing everything in its power to limit the number of logs accessed in the case—short of settling—as its customers fretted over serious privacy concerns.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
China's benchmark blue chip index fell 3% in January as investors fretted over the increasingly volatile macro outlook and Beijing's tepid policy response.
—Jiaxing Li, Reuters, 5 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretted
Verb
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Google’s overwhelming search dominance may be eroded by itself, as more gen AI players come on the scene.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The letter said the secretary's personnel decisions and policy moves had eroded scientific integrity and threatened the safety of the HHS workforce, raising immediate questions about the capacity of the CDC and other agencies to carry out public-health missions.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The flats are made from smooth faux leather and have a modern square toe and double straps — just like the pair Kruger wore.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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At the 2025 Oscars, both best actress nominee Demi Moore and best actor winner Adrien Brody wore Armani.—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Such incidents, in the past, would have had her run home, and write about them furiously in her journal, worried that forgetting them would erase the blessings corresponded to it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
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Luka’s policy change was motivated in part by regulatory pressure, especially in Italy, where officials worried that Replika posed a risk to minors and emotionally fragile users.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In fact, the aliens take a back seat to the human interactions, which irritated some viewers eager to see actual aliens in a show about an extraterrestrial invasion.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On one day in late December, Eden barely ate all day.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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While neither is an effective big league pitcher at this point, those moves ate into the Yankees’ limited rotation depth.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Its light wash and frayed raw hem look reminds me of the pair the lifestyle guru wore, and the ankle-skimming length is great for showing off a cute pair of sneakers, booties, or slip-on sandals.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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So going back and exploring how Ben and Raife’s partnership frayed also became a foundation for season one of Dark Wolf.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But over time, even the most beautiful planks can start to look dull, dry, or scratched, especially in high-traffic areas.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
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Jenna Ortega's Wednesday has only scratched the surface of her family's dark history.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Spills can be blotted (never rubbed) with a dry cloth since the fabric is non-absorptive, and for more stubborn stains, dry cleaning is recommended.—
Zoë Sessums,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
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The bug’s feces can also end up inside or near a home and then be incidentally ingested or rubbed into the skin or mucous membrane.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fretted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretted. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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