as in afraid
of, relating to, or having an extremely strong fear or dislike of someone or something
She is phobic about heights.
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Recent Examples of phobic
Can the commitment-phobic Marta fall in love?
—
Marc Berman, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
The author has become controversial due to what her critics describe as phobic and abusive anti-transgender views.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Some research suggests that being exposed to another person's phobic response can teach you to internalize that fear, as well.2
Not all people who develop somniphobia have risk factors for a phobia.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 7 Dec. 2024
Conway is mousy, phobic of plane travel, and loves her parents and her cat, a Scottish Fold named Alfie.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for phobic
Marc Berman, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
The author has become controversial due to what her critics describe as phobic and abusive anti-transgender views.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Some research suggests that being exposed to another person's phobic response can teach you to internalize that fear, as well.2
Not all people who develop somniphobia have risk factors for a phobia.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 7 Dec. 2024
Conway is mousy, phobic of plane travel, and loves her parents and her cat, a Scottish Fold named Alfie.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for phobic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobic
Adjective
-
Elizabeth Hurley isn't afraid of a re-wear.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Don't be afraid of the rainy season.—
Tom Vanderbilt,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And so understandably, Steve was scared and worried about Tony's wellbeing.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The other version of Eztatlán is one most people are scared to talk about.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Everyone is terrified but grateful for this gift Ennis and Gary have given them.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
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But her mother, too terrified to take out the garbage, let alone venture through the city to a hospital, canceled the procedure.—
Kate Wells,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The culling perfectly played into ongoing fears that AI automation is coming for white-collar jobs, a major job market and economic disruption that workers are becoming increasingly worried about — and which clearly has execs salivating.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Mar. 2026
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But Boone wasn’t too worried about the right-hander’s velocity in early February.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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His hope is to create a new incentive for these timid business leaders, by wiping out a quarter billion or more from their combined market cap.—
Kristin Stoller,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
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At the heart of the series is Deano’s friendship with Kit, his timid best mate from the wealthy side of town.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phobic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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