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
Althea Soft conducted search engine analysis into the phobia between November 2022 and October 2024.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Their findings, published in the journal BMC Oral Health, suggest that the phobia isn’t necessarily tied directly to the dentist’s chair.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Oct. 2025
Support for political violence was even higher among individuals who harbored multiple hateful phobias, according to his survey of over 9,300 adults.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
Her phobia grew with her, shaping daily life in subtle but significant ways.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Their findings, published in the journal BMC Oral Health, suggest that the phobia isn’t necessarily tied directly to the dentist’s chair.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Oct. 2025
Support for political violence was even higher among individuals who harbored multiple hateful phobias, according to his survey of over 9,300 adults.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
Her phobia grew with her, shaping daily life in subtle but significant ways.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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Witnesses described scenes of panic as flames spread rapidly through the basement level before engulfing the upper floor.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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Kaitlin spent the first weeks of her newborn son’s life in a panic.—
Lucas Waldron,
ProPublica,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The other lives in New Jersey and is accused of talking about a potential terror attack in Boston during a livestream.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Esmé, along with many patrons and staff, experienced the terror and chaos of the event firsthand.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The attendees—thirty- and forty-somethings who are members of the bank’s Private Wealth Management (PWM) division, which boasts an average account size of over $75 million—gathered to hash out their anxiety and excitement.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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Barton will have to wait another month to receive his sentence for the six guilty counts the jury returned on charges of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety to football broadcasters Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, and TV and radio host Jeremy Vine.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Robert Irwin had a serious health scare on Dancing With the Stars last night.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Nov. 2025
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This latest health scare comes amid a particularly prolific era for the genre-blurring star.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Knott’s has unveiled its annual Seasons of Fun calendar that includes events dedicated to Peanuts characters, Boysenberry treats, summertime barbecues, Halloween frights and Christmas cheer.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Dec. 2025
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Though Heitor is claimed to be no more harmful than a puppy, there are some moments of fright for Griff who is a little uneasy acting opposite him and at one point panics and tosses him overboard, resulting in Heitor’s gruesome demise.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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