as in panic
an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something
His fear of crowds eventually developed into a phobia.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of phobia
Social phobia may also be a sign a child may be struggling with a disorganized attachment style.
—
Samantha Mann, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025
With my driving phobia… Separating from my wife was literally the worst.
—Ilana Masad, Them, 24 Mar. 2025
Lilian, with a phobia of reptiles, nevertheless gathered the courage for her children’s sake, running a finger along the back of the boa constrictor.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Individuals with this intense flying phobia might engage in different rituals or superstitions to get ready for a flight, Taylor said.
—Cathy Cassata, Health, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Samantha Mann, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025
With my driving phobia… Separating from my wife was literally the worst.
—Ilana Masad, Them, 24 Mar. 2025
Lilian, with a phobia of reptiles, nevertheless gathered the courage for her children’s sake, running a finger along the back of the boa constrictor.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Individuals with this intense flying phobia might engage in different rituals or superstitions to get ready for a flight, Taylor said.
—Cathy Cassata, Health, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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Trump faces growing pushback from his own party The markets were still in a panic on Monday when an unverified report circulated that the president was considering a 90-day pause on the tariffs.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
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Bitcoin and other crypto tokens joined the rest of the market earlier this week in a downward plunge amid growing panic about Trump’s tariffs.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The massive spike in antisemitic incidents that followed the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in 2023 continued last year, according to data compiled by the Anti-Defamation League.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
22 Apr. 2025
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The gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history and the worst domestic terror attack on Hispanics that the country has ever seen.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The future of Popovich in the NBA remains very much in doubt, especially with this new medical scare.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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After the Wild survived a few early scares, Calgary broke through after Gustavsson stopped a long-range shot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Consumer sentiment fell sharply in April, marking the fourth consecutive month of declines, as an intensifying trade war fueled anxiety over American jobs and rising inflation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Is loyalty to an old friend and/or anxiety about having a kid reason enough to spend a day or two away from a wife who could go into labor at any minute?—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
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In a second Instagram Stories post, the singer offered another look at the cake, featuring a large bust of a clicker, the fungal zombie-esque frights from the Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series of the same name.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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