closeted

clos·et·ed | \ ˈklä-zə-təd

How to pronounce closeted (audio)

, ˈklȯ- \

Definition of closeted

: closet sense 3 a closeted homosexual

Examples of closeted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His services were an open secret in Hollywood, particularly among closeted gay men and lesbians, who were compelled by social mores and harsh publicity to keep their romantic lives under wraps. — Matt Schudel, Washington Post, "Scotty Bowers, sexual procurer for Hollywood’s closeted stars, dies at 96," 16 Oct. 2019 O’Callaghan played six seasons in the NFL as a closeted gay man. — BostonGlobe.com, "For Ryan O’Callaghan, coming out as gay changed his life - The Boston Globe," 14 Oct. 2019 The heartwarming film depicts a closeted woman's journey to personal freedom and her fight for acceptance from her traditional family. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "20 Bollywood Movies to Move to the Top of Your Watch List," 3 Sep. 2019 Then there are the documentaries: A Secret Love is about a closeted lesbian couple who came out in their 80s. — Time, "How Ryan Murphy Became King of the Streaming Boom," 3 Sep. 2019 Monty, Bryce, and Alex are all leaving when the Hillcrest student tries to say goodbye the closeted, hotheaded football player and gets beaten — hence the need for blackmail. — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, "13 Reasons Why season 3 binge recap," 23 Aug. 2019 That piece, which centered on a closeted cabaret singer (played by Luke Macfarlane) in 1958 New York City, was staged in an actual lounge: Martinis Above Fourth, a bar and performance venue in Hillcrest. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "La Jolla Playhouse’s ‘The Coast Starlight’ puts a journey of self-discovery aboard a California train," 16 Aug. 2019 Being in a closeted relationship is extremely emotionally draining. — Apoorva Malhotra, Quartz India, "A personal account of what it means to be gay in India," 17 July 2019 The tenets of liberal democracy are nothing but an excuse for closeted white supremacy. — Sahil Handa, National Review, "What Conservatives Get Wrong about the Campus Wars," 4 July 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near closeted

close the door on

close/tight finish

Statistics for closeted

Last Updated

24 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Closeted.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closeted. Accessed 14 December 2019.

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