as in panic
an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something
His fear of crowds eventually developed into a phobia.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of phobia
The person with a phobia does not want to be terrified of spiders.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 10 Feb. 2025
People who seek treatment usually have a debilitating phobia.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
This is generally considered the gold standard for treating phobias.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 7 Dec. 2024
Arachnophobia, the clinical term for a , is one of the world's most common phobias.
—Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 10 Feb. 2025
People who seek treatment usually have a debilitating phobia.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025
This is generally considered the gold standard for treating phobias.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 7 Dec. 2024
Arachnophobia, the clinical term for a , is one of the world's most common phobias.
—Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
-
Uncertainty is scary, but fear, panic and worry add insult to injury—another layer of stress.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Amid federal workforce layoffs and concerns about the economic impact of his trade policies—which have already sparked panic in the U.S. stock market—several CEOs have voiced doubts about the president's agenda.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On January 1, revelers rang in the new year to tragedy when a terror attack claimed 15 lives and left 57 injured.—
Harriet Shepherd,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Celebrated around the world, Mardi Gras holds a special meaning for the citizens of New Orleans, especially after the terror attack on the city’s famed Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ed Yardeni, president of investment advisory Yardeni Research, is confident the growth scare is just a headfake caused by extremely cold weather in January and uncertainty around policies in Washington.—
Elisabeth Buchwald and Matt Egan,
CNN,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Don’t believe the scare tactics being used by our Florida Surgeon General or Trump’s new Secretary of Health and Human Services.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In the film, Shear stars as Sam, a once-promising law student whose anxiety has slowly chipped away at his confidence in all areas of his life.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 Mar. 2025
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Qigong also was found helpful in treating arthritis, depression and anxiety, and hypertension in a May 2022 study published in the Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research.—
Melanie Radzicki McManus,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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 13 Mar. 2025.
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