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
The circumstances made the role ill-suited to Bennett, and everyone knew that Shawn was beset by phobias.
—
Literary Hub, 12 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
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
This one’s closer to immersion therapy for phobias around motherhood, mental health, and emotional maelstroms that refuse to tamed or contained.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 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
Experts at PetMD say that dogs may develop fears or phobias for several reasons.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 12 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
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
This one’s closer to immersion therapy for phobias around motherhood, mental health, and emotional maelstroms that refuse to tamed or contained.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 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
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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Almost every one of Arsenal’s title-winning seasons in living memory has had a moment where the terrors set in.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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The lustrous surfaces hide moral horrors, silence emotional terrors, and block out the filth beyond their boundaries.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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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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
Cite this Entry
“Phobias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobias. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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