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
One of my prompts on the app detailed my phobia of snails in detail.
—
Isoke Atiba, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
For people with shark phobias—likely traumatized by movies like Jaws—such advances could help make getting in the water a little easier.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2025
Watch Cyrus talk about her paper phobia above.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Dec. 2025
Mindshift - Helps teens and young adults gain insight into and basic skills to manage anxiety, including GAD, social anxiety, specific phobias and panic attacks.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Isoke Atiba, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
For people with shark phobias—likely traumatized by movies like Jaws—such advances could help make getting in the water a little easier.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2025
Watch Cyrus talk about her paper phobia above.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Dec. 2025
Mindshift - Helps teens and young adults gain insight into and basic skills to manage anxiety, including GAD, social anxiety, specific phobias and panic attacks.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned against hoarding, panic buying and collusion between refiners and gas stations.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Traders are shunning debt as oil extends its surge past $100, triggering broad panic in Asia over commodity import costs.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her taste for wicked, wildly inventive terror continues to make the increasingly beloved festival’s bite-sized offerings one of its most reliable highlights.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
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Kayumi meanwhile allegedly told investigators he was affiliated with ISIS and watched the terror group’s propaganda on his phone.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Still, the broader bond rout reflects anxiety about the global economy after crude oil surged toward $120 a barrel, up almost 80% since the Iran war began and disrupted shipments from the Middle East.—
Marcus Wong,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Studies have shown a correlation between heavy digital dependence and mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and stress.—
Karen Garcia,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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LeBron James was able to return late in the game after a brief injury scare in the fourth quarter.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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Later in the half, acting head coach Jacque Vaughn, who also stepped in to coach earlier this year when Self missed a game due to a health scare, received a technical.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Many movies tried to recreate its magic mixture, including some of its own sequels, but few achieved the merry concoction of frights, gore, and giggles that Craven handled so masterfully.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
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But the fun, the frights, and the sense of being among fellow enthusiasts fluent in Slasher 101 and in on the jokes has been bled out of this.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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