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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Recent Examples of phobia
Also, those with insect phobias should consider this when planning a visit.
—
Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Despite all these benefits, snakes are among humans’ top phobias.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2026
The idea stems from a very specific phobia.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The phobia impacts around 25 million Americans.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Despite all these benefits, snakes are among humans’ top phobias.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2026
The idea stems from a very specific phobia.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The phobia impacts around 25 million Americans.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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The government is mindful of not hurting economic growth or spurring panic among consumers.—
Shoko Oda,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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Radioactive clouds spread, causing panic as far away as Germany and Britain; millions of litres of milk were dumped; livestock was destroyed or banned from sale.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The point is, instead, to revel in the contrast between the terrors and the impressively unfazed people who navigate them.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Incoming college freshmen are easy targets for people looking to profit from anxiety about loneliness, which the former US Surgeon General called an epidemic.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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Maygen says Paisley has struggled with anxiety ever since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 2 years old.—
Nicki Cox,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The health scare has put things into perspective for the music legend.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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In circumstances similar to the ones surrounding the Cheboygan Lock and Dam's ongoing failure scare, the Midland area dams were old and undersized, privately owned, poorly maintained and on regulators' radar for years before a massive spring flood destroyed them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 1390 Super Duke RR is leaner and better appointed for handling than the regular Super Duke R, and is sure to give your insurer a proper fright.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Apr. 2026
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Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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