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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of phobia
Her phobia grew with her, shaping daily life in subtle but significant ways.
—
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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Redirect their attention If your dog is anxious and barking in a panic, your first step is to remove them from the trigger.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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At times, though, the panic would close in on me.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Nov. 2025
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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Audiences just can’t get enough of films that offer frights and scares, or even family-friendly flicks that pay homage to spooky season.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Horror anthologies are a tradition in British cinema, and this collection of bite-sized frights is the granddaddy of them all.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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