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
The idea stems from a very specific phobia.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Martin Clunes is compelling as a brilliant diagnostician and heart surgeon dealing with the challenges of autism and a blood phobia affecting both his professional and personal life.
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
The phobia impacts around 25 million Americans.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Beyond needle phobia or the physical discomfort of injections, convenience is a key reason people may be interested in switching to the Wegovy pill.
—Sean Hashmi, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Martin Clunes is compelling as a brilliant diagnostician and heart surgeon dealing with the challenges of autism and a blood phobia affecting both his professional and personal life.
—Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
The phobia impacts around 25 million Americans.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Beyond needle phobia or the physical discomfort of injections, convenience is a key reason people may be interested in switching to the Wegovy pill.
—Sean Hashmi, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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Two decades ago, his grandfather was riding his bicycle when he got cut off by a car, and squeezed his brakes in a panic.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2026
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No endgame That ought to provide some perspective on the panic over the war in the Middle East.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The most violent and thuggish regime on earth would be free to carry out their campaigns of terror, coercion, conquest, and mass murder from behind a nuclear shield.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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By 1944, when much of the city lay in ruins, the terror spread.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While 88% of companies report regular AI use, according to McKinsey, adoption may be stalling as a result of employees’ anxiety around the technology displacing them from their jobs.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Noise pollution is a real health issue linked to sleep disorders, elevated blood pressure and anxiety.—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The visitors survived an early scare when Zion Suzuki pushed a Scott McTominay effort onto the post, but Japan gradually asserted control.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Fudd has started all 36 games in 2025-26 averaging more than 28 minutes without so much as an injury scare.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2026
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The real fright, though, came midway through that final frame, when star center Dylan Larkin went down in a heap after his skate seemed to catch awkwardly on the ice.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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