xenophobia

Definition of xenophobianext
as in nativism
fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of xenophobia The rise of authoritarianism, xenophobia and nationalism is also fueling young people’s desire to act, as opportunities that were once available to their parents’ generations have nearly disappeared. Kara Fox, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025 Dismissing these concerns as mere xenophobia is both condescending and factually wrong. Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025 Ishiba may also place more importance on the formal message in light of rising right-wing populism and xenophobia in Japan. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Sep. 2025 Some felt his comments to police were proof of his alleged xenophobia, emails showed. Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for xenophobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for xenophobia
Noun
  • But, that September, fifteen thousand hooded Klansmen marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington in a show of the strength of American nativism, white supremacy, anti-Catholicism, and antisemitism.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Irish Catholics were once accused of dual loyalty and political subversion during waves of nineteenth-century nativism, particularly by the Know Nothing movement.
    Prasad Pingali, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In much of Europe, by contrast, the chauvinism that had fuelled two devastating World Wars rendered such displays largely taboo after Hitler’s defeat.
    Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Her stories are well-told, relevant and often searing, detailing an elementary-school teacher’s slight, a hometown swimming-pool reckoning and chauvinism from an Ivy League club.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Tapping into national pride — dare say jingoism — might have done the trick.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The positive feelings people have toward their community translate directly into civic engagement, without the risk of increasing negative feelings such as jingoism or xenophobia.
    Sean Richey, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026

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“Xenophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/xenophobia. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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