freaking out

VERB

lose control

Synonyms

STRONGEST

go crazy lose it

WEAK

blow a gasket blow one's mind blow one's stack blow one's top break down come unglued crack up flip one's lid flip out fly off the handle go ape go ballistic go bananas go berserk go haywire go nuts go off the deep end hit the ceiling lose control of oneself lose one's composure lose one's cool lose one's mind lose one's temper wig out work oneself up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

People on the receiving end of misfires are freaking out, when they aren’t cracking up.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Meanwhile Adam Hoijard, from Wirral, said he and his family arrived three hours early, and stood in the queue for hours before people started "freaking out and feeling sick".

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

So why is the market increasingly freaking out now?

From MarketWatch • Feb. 14, 2026

So Julie Le freaking out in open court doesn’t get us where we need to go.

From Slate • Feb. 6, 2026

Kyla is sitting one aisle over, but there are too many biographies in the way to tell if she’s freaking out, too.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden