as in hidden
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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
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Recent Examples of closeted
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The show revolves around two closeted professional hockey players in a relationship with each other and has supposedly gained a massive following.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Or perhaps the speaker could recognize that a cousin at the table may be closeted, and take it upon themselves to model how to push back against transphobia.
—Lee Bebout, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for closeted
Adjective
A week ago, Arnaud’s co-star, Hudson Williams, appeared on Cohen’s show and revealed the TV show inspired closeted pro athletes, including hockey players, to confide in author Rachel Reid.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The show revolves around two closeted professional hockey players in a relationship with each other and has supposedly gained a massive following.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
Dale, who was closeted at the time of his death, leaves behind notes stashed inside his treasured first-edition books hinting that his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) may have had something to do with his ostensible suicide.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Or perhaps the speaker could recognize that a cousin at the table may be closeted, and take it upon themselves to model how to push back against transphobia.
—Lee Bebout, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for closeted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeted
Adjective
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Since last summer, police in Northern California have been investigating a hidden camera found in a public bathroom at a Kaiser Medical Center in Vallejo.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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There is little doubt that this is a rapidly developing field and that there are tremendous upsides to be had, but at the same time, regrettably, hidden risks and outright gotchas come into these endeavors, too.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Iraq's foreign currency reserves have been housed at the United States' Federal Reserve.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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The committee voted to fully fund payments to jails, which have housed some offenders as a backup, and for medical payments.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Walters and her lawyers had argued that repressed memories delayed the filing.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
27 Jan. 2026
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The more involved Jana becomes, the more she is forced to confront her past and her repressed memories.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Its dual mission is to bridge the early-stage funding gap and guarantee global access, ensuring products aren’t confined to wealthy markets for decades but are introduced in low- and middle-income countries in parallel.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Black history shouldn't be confined to February, and then forgotten.—
Terri Huggins Hart,
Parents,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In New York, the publication dogged former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s progressive policies and his personal life, covering everything from his gym visits to his divorce in cringe-inducing detail.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
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Using a data removal service can help limit exposed personal details across data broker sites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The winter storm that dumped a foot of snow on parts of Arkansas and encased much of the state in ice apparently contributed to two deaths.—
Anne Li,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
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Like its many siblings, EC 53 is encased by extremely hot dust and gas—exactly the type of environment capable of forging crystalline silicates.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Watch it for its skin-deep enticement, its powerful visual devices, but also its concealed malignancy.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Saint Ann’s, an elite private school that charges roughly $60,000 a year in tuition and is known for high Ivy League acceptance rates and attendees that include celebrities, artists and Wall Street executives, has been surrounded by scandal for nearly two years.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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The makeshift detention center, surrounded by chain-link fences, had detainees sleeping on brown bunk beds under bright, perpetual fluorescent lights.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeted. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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