for fear of

Idioms  

1. Also, for fear that. In order to avoid or prevent, in case of. For example, They closed all the windows for fear of rain. The variant is always used before a clause, as in She wouldn't let her children climb trees for fear that they would fall. The first term dates from the late 1400s, the second from about 1600.

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Example Sentences

“They can be overwhelmed for fear of losing a partner after a bad diagnosis or being a caregiver,” said Suzanne Phillips, a licensed psychologist in Northport, N.Y.

From MarketWatch

"And some don't declare illnesses they have for fear of having their licence taken away".

From BBC

Experts also cite a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that laws criminalising speech must be precise, not vague or overly broad, to avoid a "chilling effect" in which people self-censor for fear of prosecution.

From BBC

Venezuelans inside the country Tuesday largely refused to talk about Cabello for fear of reprisals.

From The Wall Street Journal

One mother in Zhejiang province, who wished to remain unidentified for fear of repercussions, said she used an AI chatbot to create a lesson plan on recycling for her nine-year-old homeschooled son.

From Barron's