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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Recent Examples of phobia
People with a phobia of elevators should take steps to avoid them.
—
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
What makes treating panic disorder difficult is that these attacks can be symptoms of other conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia disorder (SAD), agoraphobia, major depressive disorder (MDD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
—New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
For those who have a needle phobia or just want to avoid a visit to the local clinic, here’s how to give yourself the flu vaccine at home.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
However, it was noted that the victim had a low resting heart rate, dental phobia and had a history of fainting, which the complaint said Watkins did not investigate or document.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
What makes treating panic disorder difficult is that these attacks can be symptoms of other conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia disorder (SAD), agoraphobia, major depressive disorder (MDD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
—New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
For those who have a needle phobia or just want to avoid a visit to the local clinic, here’s how to give yourself the flu vaccine at home.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
However, it was noted that the victim had a low resting heart rate, dental phobia and had a history of fainting, which the complaint said Watkins did not investigate or document.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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On an evening that began with panic in USC’s backfield, the walk-on gave Riley reason to exhale amid the chaos.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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The colorless liquid is now responsible for an ongoing health crisis that has triggered a nationwide panic affecting about 100 million people across six states in Brazil, according to health authorities.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the Netflix adaptation, Pippa helps describe the fight against the Twits’ reign of mischief and terror, serving as a moral compass amid the chaos.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Mathis has been a terror for opposing quarterbacks alongside teammate and fellow true freshman Sidney Stewart.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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An ideal scenario for the remainder of the year would have the recent choppiness last a bit longer to qualify as a proper scare, skimming the froth off the speculative stuff and resetting expectations in a way that rebuilds investors' capacity to be surprised to the upside.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
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Daily and nightly tours now offer visitors its complex history, along with an occasional paranormal scare.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But last week saw an observable upwelling of anxiety, reflecting a break of the preceding low-volatility climb and some possible pent-up selling from historically elevated equity allocations.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
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That anxiety is reflected in the polling.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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You macabre-loving weirdos can get your fright on in numerous ways around Greater Cincinnati.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
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When the lovebirds return from their honeymoon, they are met with quite a fright!—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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