phobia

noun

Definition of phobianext
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

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 phobia His father has many food phobias and drug issues. — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2026 In his foundational research, Bandura demonstrated this through a now-famous series of studies involving individuals with severe phobias of snakes. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026 This, Wright imagined, was one way Proxi might display its analysis of players’ minds, an aerial map of loves, phobias, triumphs, losses, pets, and near misses plus all the associations connecting them. — Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026 In Atlanta, some people living with SAD, as well as social phobia or even simple shyness, are facing their fears in a novel way. — Hunter Boyce, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
  1. panic
  2. terror
  3. anxiety
  4. scare
  5. fright
Noun
  • There’s a lot of panic right now about the bumpy intersection of artificial intelligence and art-making.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Unwilling to expose himself in this moment, Paul Baker juggles both of his competing personas, continuing the bro-y shouting but with a new panic in his voice and in Jack Innanen’s expressions.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of panic
Noun
  • The video was released by Hamas in what hostage families described as psychological terror.
    — Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • He was arrested by the police and convicted of spying for a terror plot against the network.
    — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of terror
Noun
  • Common side effects include dizziness, fast heart rate, high blood pressure, anxiety, headache, insomnia and loss of appetite.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Analysts observe that market anxiety surrounding mega-cap tech companies has escalated markedly in recent weeks.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • The comedian and actor spoke candidly about his health scare in a 2024 Netflix comedy special, What Had Happened Was.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Kevin McCarthy captured a spectacular view as the eclipsed moon shone blood red in the skies over North Carolina, after a brief weather scare!
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of scare
Noun
  • In the movie, a group of teens accidentally release a bunch of monsters from Stine’s book collection, creating complete havoc and plenty of great family-friendly frights.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And some of the film’s most impressive frights take place in the dentist’s chair, veering into serious body-horror territory.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of fright

Browse Nearby Words

phlegmatic
phobia
phobias
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Cite this Entry

“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on phobia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phobia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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