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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 paranoia
The disease caused by repetitive head trauma is known to cause aggression, mood swings, depression and paranoia but can only be diagnosed through a postmortem brain autopsy.
—
Kansas City Star, 15 Mar. 2026
The film’s amber light and ample bell-bottoms situate it firmly in the late 1970s, a time of repressive dictatorships and jittery paranoia, triggered by political malfeasance and instability across the world.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Rewind back to 2006, when times were tough, government surveillance in the name of national security was upping the paranoia factor, the Middle East was in crisis, and an American president had started a war on foreign soil and shaky grounds.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
As the Premier League title race enters its final stretch, paranoia intensifies.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Kansas City Star, 15 Mar. 2026
The film’s amber light and ample bell-bottoms situate it firmly in the late 1970s, a time of repressive dictatorships and jittery paranoia, triggered by political malfeasance and instability across the world.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Rewind back to 2006, when times were tough, government surveillance in the name of national security was upping the paranoia factor, the Middle East was in crisis, and an American president had started a war on foreign soil and shaky grounds.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
As the Premier League title race enters its final stretch, paranoia intensifies.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoia
Noun
-
While 88% of companies report regular AI use, according to McKinsey, adoption may be stalling as a result of employees’ anxiety around the technology displacing them from their jobs.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Noise pollution is a real health issue linked to sleep disorders, elevated blood pressure and anxiety.—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Underwood and his players downplayed their concerns about playing Houston in its home city.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Hitting was a major concern last regular season for the Rangers, who got middling production in terms of home runs (18th) and RBIs (19th) and struggled to consistently get on base, ranking 26th in batting average and OBP.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bernadine was now viewed with such suspicion that Chalker’s bosses suspected a setup.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
One result of the existing system is that vote tabulations in California go on for weeks, something that frustrates the public and the media, and, in the current atmosphere, helps fuel suspicion of electoral skullduggery.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Like all of us are in disbelief.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and players from both teams were left in disbelief.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoia. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
