phobia

noun

Definition of phobianext
as in panic
an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something His fear of crowds eventually developed into a phobia.

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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 phobia From bizarre medical tests to a mass phobia of beans, here are 14 surprising facts that reveal just how inventive, eccentric, and fascinating the ancient Greeks really were. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 Several factors raise the risk, according to Cleveland Clinic, including a history of negative or traumatic experiences with needles and a family history of needle phobia. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026 It is recognized as a specific phobia of the blood-injection-injury type under the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026 Long before the cancer, my father, Rajeev, who was 63, avoided conventional medicine with an intensity that bordered on phobia. — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
  1. panic
  2. fearfulness
  3. terror
  4. anxiety
  5. scare
  6. fright
Noun
  • His wife, Stacy Petit Bennett, told the outlet her husband called her in a panic as his truck became surrounded by floodwaters on San Filippo Drive.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • On Wednesday, a rush to open new accounts elsewhere crashed other banks’ mobile apps, fueling public panic.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of panic
Noun
  • There’s a delicacy to Sebastián, a hushed fearfulness, that sets him apart from his new comrades.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of fearfulness
Noun
  • Freedom, and the chance to briefly escape the grind of a stay-at-home mom with three little terrors.
    — Kevin Fanady, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • In 2001, he was fired from MTV UK after turning up to work dressed as Osama bin Laden two days after the September 11 terror attacks.
    — Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of terror
Noun
  • America in 2026 is not Nazi Germany, but events from 88 years ago still overshadow the thinking and anxiety of millions of Jews.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Advertisement Even reading this suggestion to consider being more open-minded may increase your anxiety and create tension in your body.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • The 76ers got a scare in the first quarter when Embiid crumpled to the court after colliding with Quickley, clutching his right knee.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Mahomes suffered an injury scare late in the second quarter against the Jets.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of scare
Noun
  • The insurance company covering the promotion must have had a fright because there were 381 purchases worth more than $450,000 that had to be repaid, as The Star reported at the time.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The fright of theme drought had subsided for now, but as with any horror villain, there’s always the danger of a sequel.
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fright

Browse Nearby Words

phlegmatic
phobia
phobias
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Cite this Entry

“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on phobia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phobia

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