How to Use for fear of in a Sentence

for fear of

idiom
Definition of for fear ofnext
  • Both women gave just their first name for fear of reprisals.
    — Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
  • 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
  • That’s why both Jacky and Leo asked me to use only their English names for fear of reprisal.
    — Li Yuan, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
  • Some don't even want to test their water, for fear of unearthing the problem.
    — Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
  • The small group of Chinese Catholics who crossed the border to see Pope Francis covered their faces for fear of reprisal.
    — Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023
  • In the past, trainers did not want to be stuck on the extreme outside for fear of being stuck eight or nine paths wide on the first turn.
    — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 1 May 2023
  • Because of that mist, all of the townspeople are being held for fear of dark magic.
    — USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2023
  • Like many others, the man, a 28-year-old Jerusalemite, didn’t want to give his name for fear of retribution by the police.
    — Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
  • Yet the man insisted on anonymity, for fear of losing friends.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023
  • The bluejackets forced everyone to walk in the middle of the street for fear of falling debris.
    — Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2023
  • At the same time, seniors are afraid to complain for fear of repercussions, speakers said.
    — Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
  • Migrants sometimes don’t report to court for fear of losing their case.
    — Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
  • What it was designed to do, however, was ease the concerns of customers who didn’t turn on their AC even in heat waves for fear of a spike in their bill.
    — Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2023
  • In the end, the Shin Bet chose not to bring the case to court, for fear of exposing the agency’s intelligence-gathering methods.
    — Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023
  • Just Sam, however, couldn’t go back to New York for fear of getting their grandmother sick.
    — Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2023
  • Ghannam worked as an eighth grade English teacher at a school in the area, Islam added, declining to give his own last name for fear of reprisals.
    — Isabel Debre The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023
  • Lilith and other dancers asked not to be identified by their legal names for fear of being harassed or stalked.
    — Ava Sasani, New York Times, 16 May 2023
  • Do not make the mistake of avoiding therapy for fear of losing each other.
    — Elaine Welteroth, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
  • George allowed his wife to cultivate few close friendships, for fear of favoritism.
    — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2023
  • Anna asked to only be identified by her first name for fear of backlash from other X users.
    — WIRED, 17 Oct. 2023
  • The eyewitness, who has been inside the hospital, asked not to be named for fear of retribution.
    — Kareem Khadder, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024
  • The hope was that once mortgage rates dropped, the lock-in effect, in which existing homeowners refuse to sell for fear of losing their low mortgage rates, would ease.
    — Alena Botros, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2024
  • But no previous Hong Kong leader has been willing to take it on for fear of a ferocious backlash.
    — Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Kareem spoke on the condition that only his first name be used for fear of retribution.
    — Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
  • As for your hesitation to have a heart-to-heart for fear of getting kicked off the trip: that is indeed a bit murkier, ethically.
    — Sundog, Outside Online, 1 Mar. 2023
  • And, increasingly, leaders are staying silent for fear of reprisal.
    — David Rosowsky, Forbes, 4 May 2023
  • In fact, many politicians might hold off on divorcing their spouse leading up to an election year, for fear of public backlash.
    — Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2023
  • But firework shows have been canceled in parts of the country this year for fear of a resurgence of the unrest that has just swept France, and for the risk of fire in the face of the extreme heat that is a new fixture of French summers.
    — Constant Méheut, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2023
  • Some 45 million Sudanese effectively are held hostage and are unable to venture out of their homes for fear of being killed in the crossfire.
    — Justin Lynch, CNN, 17 Apr. 2023
  • Even when the show does find some forward momentum, Succession never seems to want to lean all the way into it for fear of hastening its end.
    — Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 26 Mar. 2023

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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