closeted 1 of 2

Definition of closetednext

closeted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of closet

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
Joe, who grew up a closeted teen in Kansas City facing abuse by his father, hits the road hitchhiking. Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026 The film centers on a pickpocket who survives by exploiting the desires of closeted men, until his detached worldview is upended when one of his marks returns seeking closeness rather than settling scores. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2026
Verb
The steamy romance Heated Rivalry saw two gay men spend nearly a decade trying to define their relationship; although being closeted played a major role in their hesitation, the show also mined tension from the characters’ doubts about having an exclusive partnership. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026 Morrissey’s character must confront his own homophobia and transphobia as Cumming forms a friendship with one of his sons, who is closeted. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for closeted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeted
Adjective
  • This question surfaces the hidden hypothesis behind the initiative.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Utilizing space meant tucking a compact kitchen with a hidden floor-to-ceiling pantry into one corner of the apartment.
    Troy J. McMullen, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • The mission museum and gift shop are housed in the original Convent Wing, once the residential quarters of Franciscan priests and friars.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Rodriguez said in a May phone interview with the Herald that detainees had been complaining when a guard approached him and told him to walk out of the cage where he and other men were housed.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Adjective
  • He’s played by Grégoire Colin, one of the great modern French actors, whose onscreen persona combines unrelieved woundedness with barely repressed violence.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
  • Zhang, delivering his first fully Cantonese-language performance on the big screen, portrays a repressed small-time man caught between competing versions of reality.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • The financial-support trend isn’t confined to the youngest adults.
    Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 July 2026
  • As satellite arrays became larger and more efficient, and electronics more sophisticated, orbital nuclear power systems were largely confined to exploration missions to the outer Solar System by the 1990s.
    David Szondy July 07, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
Adjective
  • The measure aims to prevent businesses from offering different prices for shoppers based on personal information that is collected using tracking technology or other surveillance electronic tools, unless the businesses follow certain rules.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2026
  • Two years later, personal usage had exploded, and the beliefs about impact hadn't moved at all.
    Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • Sweltering 94 degree heat encased San Jose on June 11, but that didn’t stop dozens of middle-age and bearded men from confidently strutting around Santana Row in heels.
    Shivika Verma, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • Fortuitously, the small kiosk where Gil was encased acted as a kind of buffer, offering some measure of protection from the accumulation of debris looming above.
    Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Adjective
  • In another instance, investigators identified a gray button on a test-taker's shirt as a concealed camera.
    Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 25 June 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • The controversial issue that arose on July 8 surrounded a police interview with Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • Recently released pictures show his coffin next arriving in Karbala, surrounded by masses of people.
    Jamie Gray, NBC news, 9 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeted. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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