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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of closeted
Arushi Jacob, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
In the show, breakout stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams play closeted rival hockey players who keep their romance a secret.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for closeted
Adjective
Meanwhile, the return of Marius (Sule Thelwell), the boys’ fourth roommate and Q’s secret closeted ex-fling, throws a wrench in Kitty’s plans and Q’s romance with his boyfriend Jin (Joshua Hyunho Lee).
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
In the show, breakout stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams play closeted rival hockey players who keep their romance a secret.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Years later, Aaron, a studio employee who also helped closeted gay actors, is ready to come forward and share what really happened to Xavier.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for closeted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeted
Adjective
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Many women experience motherhood and ambition as simultaneous life paths that require them to develop hidden strength.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Take the road less traveled, find hidden gems that aren't so much on the map, and be original in your itinerary.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
Verb
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It is housed in the same building as the attraction’s affiliate, The Escape Game, which opened in 2015 and took hold in the world of escape rooms.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
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The Spanish Revival skyscraper once housed one of the city’s first newspapers, but later served as a resource center for hundreds of thousands of Cubans seeking asylum in the United States, according to Miami Dade College, which now operates the site as a museum.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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There, migrant labor, economic need and repressed desire collide, especially through his uneasy bond with Arvydas, a Czech co-worker whose open homophobia masks darker tensions.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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The gothic genre is well suited to repressed stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Being confined to a wooden chair, wearing that impressive multilayered costume, in the intense heat of Gran Canaria.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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For many years, the worst problems were largely confined to very low-income families, roughly 50% of whom pay more than half of their incomes in rent, leaving little for food and other necessities.—
Michael Schill,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Richards’s personal experience and his years with the Fortune Society had given him the necessary credibility, with both activists and institutions, to help win commitment for the committee’s vision.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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French worked with overseas telemarketing call centers to pressure elderly Americans to provide personal information and agree to unnecessary orthotic braces, according to the Justice Department.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Verb
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The oven is a metal chamber encased in a brick structure.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
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Glass walls overlook an atmospheric inner garden of pines, a willow and a cherry tree, encased in tall cedar fences.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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Kentucky lawmakers will likely let our columnist Joe Gerth down again by overriding the veto of a bill that would allow 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to carry concealed guns.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Apr. 2026
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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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The suspect, Joseph Edward Smith, was surrounded and arrested while wearing camouflage and a tactical belt containing multiple boxes of ammunition.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
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The ring features a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire set in 18-carat white gold, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds.—
Ilana Frost,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeted. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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