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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Recent Examples of paranoid
What to do with the paranoid racial reading?
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
The ever-paranoid Ally believes all of these headscratchers are part of a Trumpian conspiracy that's out to get her, but audiences were left struggling to connect the dots.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Bob and Zoyd are both paranoid in the wake of their rebellious pasts.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
For a long stretch of its opening act, All the President’s Men—the canonical paranoid thriller from 1976—isn’t just about the brewing Watergate scandal, or about the battle between a cagey political machine and an enterprising newspaper.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
The ever-paranoid Ally believes all of these headscratchers are part of a Trumpian conspiracy that's out to get her, but audiences were left struggling to connect the dots.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
Bob and Zoyd are both paranoid in the wake of their rebellious pasts.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
For a long stretch of its opening act, All the President’s Men—the canonical paranoid thriller from 1976—isn’t just about the brewing Watergate scandal, or about the battle between a cagey political machine and an enterprising newspaper.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paranoid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoid
Adjective
-
During a ten-minute break, Heidi was worried.—
Joe Garcia,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Midwest The Upper Midwest is the only area that has some potential for minor travel delays, but the Farmer’s Almanac isn’t too worried.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, owners should also be cautious of potential dangers and hazards of outdoor adventures, as this pet parent learned from the dog's frightful fall.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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Hiring has ground to nearly a halt, which could partly reflect a more cautious approach by many firms in the wake of the uncertainty created by the higher tariffs.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
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Integrating such a messy light source into a silicon photonics chip required careful engineering.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Another notable Wall Street analyst, LightShed’s Rich Greenfield, is similarly skeptical of a Netflix deal for WB.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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Analysts are skeptical over whether the Gaza peace agreement — which calls for a full disarmament of Hamas, among other vexxing issues — will be fully implemented, even as its initial phase looked to be unfolding as hoped.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But as the departure date neared and the plane tickets hadn’t arrived, Pérez got nervous.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Children usually accompany the players onto the pitch, wide-eyed youngsters in pristine kits, looking nervous and staring up in awe at Harry Kane or Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paranoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoid. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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