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
Create paranoia First, and most important, how did this caper begin?
—
Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Hernandez, 22, alleges the incident has left him in a state of constant paranoia.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The bigger paranoia for the future of moviegoing lies with a Netflix-Warner Bros dystopian future, particularly since the latter has accepted the former’s bid officially.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Dec. 2025
Nuance and curiosity carry this tale of a compulsively ambitious man who rose from the depths of poverty on a California lemon ranch to the highest perch of American superpower before burning his wings on the folly of his own paranoia and insecurities.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Hernandez, 22, alleges the incident has left him in a state of constant paranoia.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
The bigger paranoia for the future of moviegoing lies with a Netflix-Warner Bros dystopian future, particularly since the latter has accepted the former’s bid officially.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Dec. 2025
Nuance and curiosity carry this tale of a compulsively ambitious man who rose from the depths of poverty on a California lemon ranch to the highest perch of American superpower before burning his wings on the folly of his own paranoia and insecurities.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoia
Noun
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The attendees—thirty- and forty-somethings who are members of the bank’s Private Wealth Management (PWM) division, which boasts an average account size of over $75 million—gathered to hash out their anxiety and excitement.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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Barton will have to wait another month to receive his sentence for the six guilty counts the jury returned on charges of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety to football broadcasters Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, and TV and radio host Jeremy Vine.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The measures, which had been agreed to in writing in mid-November 2023, were intended to address Lively’s concerns about on-set conduct and safety.—
Elizabeth Rosner,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Venezuelan immigrants and political refugees are celebrating the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, despite local protests and legal concerns.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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All the while, Tony Award winning director David Cromer (The Band’s Visit) exploits audience suspicion.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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Priya, meanwhile, turns her suspicions on Jack as well as the elusive Catherine, who yields no results on a Google search save for an article about her dead older sister.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Like all of us are in disbelief.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The cases in Blair’s book, however gruesome, catalogue methods that our species has used to manage terror, sorrow, and disbelief in the face of the irremediable and unpredictable arrival of death.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoia. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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