claustrophobia
noun
claus·tro·pho·bia
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə 
1
: abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces
2
: a feeling of discomfort or discontent caused by being in a limiting or restrictive situation or environment
While recovering in the hospital, she recognizes the claustrophobia of her working-class life, shared with a suffocatingly affectionate mother and a dud of a dad.—
Barbara Tritel
Barbara TritelExamples of claustrophobia in a Sentence
She doesn't go in elevators because of her claustrophobia.
the claustrophobia of small-town life
Recent Examples on the Web
Genevieve O’Reilly’s frantic performance hides her exasperation in her dance moves, while close-ups both isolate her from the surrounding wedding guests and enhance the feeling of claustrophobia.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 23 June 2025
The film derives locational specificity not from city or region, but from the apartment building and local community, adding deliberate claustrophobia to the overall narrative tension.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 June 2025
Psychological factors such as anxiety, claustrophobia and aviophobia (fear of flying) can also trigger an unusual behavior that the passenger may not show in other social contexts.
—Milad Haghani, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Anderson wrote Asteroid City while in quarantine, an experience that appears to have directly informed its sense of anxiety and claustrophobia.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for claustrophobia
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.
Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 23 June 2025
The film derives locational specificity not from city or region, but from the apartment building and local community, adding deliberate claustrophobia to the overall narrative tension.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 June 2025
Psychological factors such as anxiety, claustrophobia and aviophobia (fear of flying) can also trigger an unusual behavior that the passenger may not show in other social contexts.
—Milad Haghani, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Anderson wrote Asteroid City while in quarantine, an experience that appears to have directly informed its sense of anxiety and claustrophobia.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for claustrophobia
Cite this Entry
“Claustrophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claustrophobia. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
claustrophobia
noun
claus·tro·pho·bia
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə
: abnormal fear of being in closed or narrow spaces
claustrophobic
adjective
-ˈfō-bik
Medical Definition
claustrophobia
noun
claus·tro·pho·bia
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə
: abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share