as in panics
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 phobias
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
Experts at PetMD say that dogs may develop fears or phobias for several reasons.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Juliana Kim, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
Experts at PetMD say that dogs may develop fears or phobias for several reasons.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobias
Noun
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But worst of all is the knowledge that all of these terrors were trademarks of the asylums that stowed away those with mental health conditions well into the 20th century.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
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Repression, self-harm, substance abuse, bullying, jealousy, emotional abuse, and even allusions to grooming, among other terrors of the fog, keep the tensions high from start to finish.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As the decorations go up and the costumes come together, Indy-area neighborhoods, stages, historic sites and more are gearing up for their annual Halloween festivities and frights.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
23 Sep. 2025
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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,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Other introspective angles are explored during Mariano’s audiences with his friend the Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), a serene Black man with a head crowned by a bundle of silver dreads, who tools around the Vatican on a motorbike.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phobias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobias. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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