PHOBIA Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

phobia

noun

Definition of phobia

as in panic

an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something His fear of crowds eventually developed into a phobia.

Related Words

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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 Festivalgoers should expect petition endeavors aimed at mellowing out Idaho’s legal phobia about marijuana. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026 His father has many food phobias and drug issues. — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026 In his foundational research, Bandura demonstrated this through a now-famous series of studies involving individuals with severe phobias of snakes. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026 This, Wright imagined, was one way Proxi might display its analysis of players’ minds, an aerial map of loves, phobias, triumphs, losses, pets, and near misses plus all the associations connecting them. — Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for phobia

Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia

Noun

The aircraft plunged thousands of feet in two minutes, causing panic and forcing the flight to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

— Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
After roughly two days of investigation, police informed the public the entire panic was driven by a hoax.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of panic

Noun

Over its 1,200 pages, the novel becomes a haunting of a haunting, a terror echoed and heightened over time.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
The titular musical is a recounting of the 9/11 terror attacks, with original music and cardboard Twin Towers ablaze.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of terror

Noun

And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
This can help decrease anxiety and increase confidence by removing the pressure of one ideal performance and shifting focus to the present moment.

— Lennon Sherburne, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

Noun

North Carolinians recently faced a scare when baby goats at a roaming petting zoo tested positive for rabies.

— Eva Flowe October 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
Broadly, the report helped confirm sentiment expressed by multiple Federal Reserve officials that the labor market is mostly sound following a growth scare in 2025.

— Jeff Cox, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of scare

Browse Nearby Words

phlegmatic

phobia

phobias

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Style

“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of phobia

noun

Example Sentences

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The Longest Long Words List

Face Your Fears

It's Not Just You, Charlie Brown

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