as in anxiety
a feeling that one does not know the whole truth or that someone else is not being truthful
Each half of the unhappy couple was constantly wracked with paranoia that the other was cheating.
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Recent Examples of paranoia
The Modern Family cast has indeed reunited in various permutations over the years — none of them inflaming fan paranoia as much as 2023's reunion-sans-Burrell.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
This is a show heavily interested in the way paranoia turns us all into weapons of mass destruction in our communities, especially when everyone’s looking to escape the ennui of their small-town blues.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
For all the cruelty, paranoia and oppression of the Red Scare in the 1940s and 1950s, there really were Soviet spies in America.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
There are certainly no major factors like physical abuse during our childhood, however, our mother had some psychological problems and showed some anger and paranoia symptoms, which scared us as children and were overt enough that many in our town knew about her.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
This is a show heavily interested in the way paranoia turns us all into weapons of mass destruction in our communities, especially when everyone’s looking to escape the ennui of their small-town blues.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
For all the cruelty, paranoia and oppression of the Red Scare in the 1940s and 1950s, there really were Soviet spies in America.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
There are certainly no major factors like physical abuse during our childhood, however, our mother had some psychological problems and showed some anger and paranoia symptoms, which scared us as children and were overt enough that many in our town knew about her.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoia
Noun
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But last week saw an observable upwelling of anxiety, reflecting a break of the preceding low-volatility climb and some possible pent-up selling from historically elevated equity allocations.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
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That anxiety is reflected in the polling.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Brewers under pressure to create pressure For Dodgers officials, a primary concern in facing the Brewers revolved around Milwaukee’s speed.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
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If squirrels are a concern, attach wire mesh over top of the container.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Over 83 pitches and six innings in that Seattle start, the righty’s suspicions grew.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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While Victim 2 took a pass on the hypercar offer -- as did an Indy car driver known as Victim 1 -- because of his suspicions about Rogers, Michael Mente did not.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In a response video shared by the A7X Israel group, Gilboa-Dalal watches Shadow’s video in disbelief, smiling and laughing.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
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Photographs also complicate the suspension of disbelief.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoia. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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