for fear of

for fear of

1. In order to try to prevent the risk of a particular thing happening.
   • 1960 March, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 184:

     [...] but in the damp conditions prevailing the driver sensibly was unwilling to attempt the climb up through Combe Down tunnel without help, for fear of slipping to a standstill in the unventilated bore, [...].

• for fear that

• “for fear of”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.