variants
also paranoidal
as in worried
having extreme or unreasonable fear or suspicion
He was paranoid about break-ins and insisted on checking the locks himself every night.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paranoid
Fear-mongering, which comes off equal parts paranoid and patronizing, is the surest way to make people stop listening.
—
Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Historically, political movements die when they become subsumed by paranoid Jew-hatred.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
In this two-part episode, Scott becomes paranoid that the office is cursed and decides to hold a charity run.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Historically, political movements die when they become subsumed by paranoid Jew-hatred.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
In this two-part episode, Scott becomes paranoid that the office is cursed and decides to hold a charity run.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoid
Adjective
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Residents of Cranbourne Hall Residential Park, the nearest neighborhood, are worried that the new home will be less private than the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Haseebullah also is worried about the Cybertrucks’ surveillance abilities that the public may not be unaware of, and that the fleet might give Tesla access to police data.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Several prominent business leaders have already voiced cautious optimism, seeing in Mamdani a chance to reset the relationship between City Hall and commerce.—
Sally Susman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Taking the long view Many finance leaders remain cautious, viewing bitcoin as too volatile—especially recently—compared to traditional assets.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Step by careful step, Holbrook climbed, holding out bologna and cheese until two pairs of cautious eyes peeked back.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Frontrunner Zohran Mamdani must convince Black voters skeptical of ambitious campaign promises, including free buses, free universal childcare and a rent freeze on 1 million apartments.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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But Feinberg is also intensely skeptical of some of the startups’ promises.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2024, Mark looked nervous watching Grace compete in a horse show.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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Senior dogs, puppies, or nervous rescues may require specialized care.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoid. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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