CLOSETED Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

closeted 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of closeted

as in hidden

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

closeted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of closet

as in housed

to close or shut in by or as if by barriers he closeted himself in his study, vowing not to emerge until he had finished the term paper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of closeted

Adjective

The hosts and reps are wives and mothers too (or the gay best friends of wives and mothers, or at least the closeted neighbor of wives and mothers). — Hannah Engler Harvey, Longreads, 30 July 2026 On the show, Barone plays Grace, the perfectionist older sister of Benny’s closeted freshman, trapped in a relationship with a noxious fail-bro played by Adam DiMarco. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 27 July 2026

Verb

At a time when most employees were closeted, a group of the company’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans employees came together to form the Lambda Network to reshape Kodak’s corporate culture and company policies. — Tamar Carroll, The Conversation, 18 June 2026 Hired as a Skyline security guard, Aaron is promoted to fixer, keeping himself and Skyline’s A-listers closeted by any means necessary. — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for closeted

Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeted

Adjective

But because nobody can see them together while Taylor’s Bachelorette NDA remains in place, Ben has to stay hidden in the room for the entire trip.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Sometimes a scouting department deserves praise for unearthing a hidden talent.

— Jesse Newell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of hidden

Verb

In 2023, Campbell’s closed its corporate headquarters in Ballantyne, which had once housed about 1,300 corporate employees.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2026
An elevator ride to the fourth floor brings you to where most of the museum’s collection is housed.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of housed

Adjective

At 53 years old, Feng Xia, a Chinese immigrant in Montreal, finally confronts her repressed desire for women and begins a secret affair with a young Québécoise.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
The book covers 25 cases from Law & Order and its spinoffs’ most popular episodes, from how a woman’s repressed memory led to solving a 30-year-old cold case to the high-profile investigation of millionaire Robert Durst.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of repressed

Verb

The birds — which were Neisen’s idea — are usually confined to the rooftop of the converted 19th-century industrial space, a surprising country quirk in the heart of the city designed by landscaping firm Brooklyn Grange.

— Tanya Fevzi, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Feeling overwhelmed and anxious is not just confined to adults; kids can feel it, too.

— John Shumway, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of confined

Adjective

Alas, poor Bryan is about to learn the hard way that change — as the saying goes — is as hard to outrun as an ever-growing zombie rat king with 37 different limbs and a weirdly personal vendetta.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
In 1981, Soviet spy Vladimir Kuzichkin offered up critical insider information on Iran’s Tudeh Party to Britain’s MI6 in exchange for discreet assistance with a personal affliction that was at the heart of his marital troubles.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of personal

Verb

At each of the crash sites, the search for the cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders – encased in orange metal, though often called black boxes – from the hijacked planes was underway.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Set on the edge of the Village of Lindos, the heavenly parcel and its glass-like waters are nearly encased by rocks with stretches of smooth sand on either side.

— Jennifer Tzeses, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of encased

Verb

Lenin and Trotsky believed that their Bolshevik Revolution would succeed only when the Soviet Union was surrounded by other Communist states.

— Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
Leary said that once the riders were surrounded on the bridge, police took them into custody without incident.

— Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of surrounded

Browse Nearby Words

closet

closeted

closeting

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeted. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of closeted

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

churlish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes