claustrophobia

noun

claus·tro·pho·bia | \ ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə

Definition of claustrophobia

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

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Examples 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 According to Gallup, in 2019, 65 percent of American adults drank alcohol; in 2021, even after the claustrophobia and worry of the plague years, that number went down to 60 percent. — Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 19 Apr. 2022 Before long, Val has confronted both her fear of flying and her claustrophobia — trapped in close quarters with the girl, Speeks, a taciturn mechanic and two polar marine scientists. — Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2022 Like many projects released after March 2020, Dawn FM is a foil to the claustrophobia many are feeling. — Waiss David Aramesh, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2022 Mira takes comfort from nestling close to him, but their cohabitation is claustrophobia-inducing, to the reader as well as to her. — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2022 In this book's open-road and rural adventures, his claustrophobia is less an issue, allowing Ash to concentrate more fully on surviving a formidable opponent. — Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2022 At the very least an adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days should be beautiful to look at, but there’s a peculiar claustrophobia to the mixture of generic locations and CG backdrops here. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2021 Diana sees visions of not only memories of herself, but also Anne Boleyn as the claustrophobia of her situation takes hold. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2021 The claustrophobia of pandemic life led Californians to flee the urban sprawl. — Alejandra Reyes-velarde Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'claustrophobia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

27 Apr 2022

Cite this Entry

“Claustrophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claustrophobia. Accessed 17 May. 2022.

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