claustrophobic
adjective
claus·tro·pho·bic
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bik 
1
: affected with or inclined to claustrophobia
2
: inducing or suggesting claustrophobia
Examples of claustrophobic in a Sentence
The theater can be a little claustrophobic when it's full.
She doesn't go in elevators because she is claustrophobic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet Nattie — like many of the town’s teenagers — feels confined, because Garberville also feels claustrophobic.
—
Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Each of its claustrophobic acts is named after a hotel, as if the story were being staged in traditional, walled settings.
—Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The scope expanded from a claustrophobic survival game to something with global stakes.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic, which won the Academy Award for visual effects and spawned an enduring franchise, turns the commercial towing vessel Nostromo — essentially a tug-hauling cargo ship — into something claustrophobic and unforgiving.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for claustrophobic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Each of its claustrophobic acts is named after a hotel, as if the story were being staged in traditional, walled settings.
—Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
The scope expanded from a claustrophobic survival game to something with global stakes.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic, which won the Academy Award for visual effects and spawned an enduring franchise, turns the commercial towing vessel Nostromo — essentially a tug-hauling cargo ship — into something claustrophobic and unforgiving.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for claustrophobic
Cite this Entry
“Claustrophobic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claustrophobic. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
claustrophobic
1 of 2 adjective
claus·tro·pho·bic
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bik
1
: suffering from or inclined to claustrophobia
2
: inducing or suggesting claustrophobia
claustrophobic
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
