From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfor fear (that), for fear (that)for fear (that), for fear of somethingFRIGHTENED because you are worried that you will make something happen She finally ran away for fear that he would kill her.for fear of doing something He got to the station early, for fear of missing her. → fear
Examples from the Corpus
for fear of doing something• Again I dared not pull too hard for fear of unravelling the raft.• And few are prepared to take this lobby on, for fear of being accused of racism themselves.• He may not even drink water at night, for fear of swallowing insects possibly floating on the surface.• I became more and more of a recluse, avoiding our old haunts for fear of running into him.• I have never dared return for fear of what I might not find there.• I would have slept on the floor but for fear of waking up face to face with a rat.• National blood pressure ran so high that the Herrera government dared not receive SlideIl in the capital for fear of a revolution.• She refuses to admit that she is the daughter for fear of disgracing her parents. 