closeted

adjective

clos·​et·​ed ˈklä-zə-təd How to pronounce closeted (audio)
ˈklȯ-
: closet entry 3 sense 3
a closeted gay man

Examples of closeted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Notably, the show stars several out gay actors, including Angus O’Brien as frat-boy enlistee and Max Parker as a closeted drill sergeant. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025 The show stars Miles Heizer as a closeted Louisiana teenager who enlists in the Marines and is based on the memoir The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 Who’s Freema Agyeman); and Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre), a closeted Spanish actor living in Mexico City with his boyfriend Hernando (Alfonso Herrera). Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025 Vanya is a closeted gay man who shuns intimacy and Sonia is a neurotic spinster who feels unnoticed and unloved. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for closeted

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of closeted was in 1969

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Cite this Entry

“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closeted. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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