PHOBIA Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

phobia

noun

Definition of phobia

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 What caught him by surprise was the conversation around fat-phobia that accompanied the film’s release. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Prisoners just always have this phobia of the world moving on from them. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 Turns out that the star had quite the number of phobias to conquer. — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026 Left untreated, anxiety in dogs tends to escalate into phobias, which are far harder to address. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for phobia

Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia

Noun

This week, Indonesian equities experienced another round of panic selling, triggered by reports that major index provider MSCI is considering downgrading the country's stock market status.

— , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
The few instances of panic were magnified by newspapers eager to discredit the new medium of radio.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of panic

Noun

French President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting a racist terror attack, saying people were targeted due to their religion and the color of their skin.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Iran's proxy gang - the Yemeni terror group known as the Houthis - has recently killed civilians in Saudi Arabia with attacks on the airport.

— Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of terror

Noun

Research has also found that across generational groups, greater user tendency to engage in social comparison, together with greater maladaptive ways of coping with emotions, is associated with more symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression.

— Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
The market for profiting off male body anxiety is nothing new.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

Noun

The Offspring’s co-founding guitarist Noodles is pausing on performing due to a health scare.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
While attending Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights in Los Angeles over the weekend, Obsession star Inde Navarrette came face-to-face with the scare actor portraying her character, Nikki Freeman.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of scare

Noun

But not everyone wants to be up close and personal the with the IRL frights of a haunted house or spooky corn maze.

— Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026
Hunt for Ghosts If fright-seeing is more your style, Amelia’s Galena Ghost Tours and several other businesses lead spooky visits to pubs, cemeteries, and other public spaces after dark.

— Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fright

Browse Nearby Words

phlegmatic

phobia

phobias

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to phobia

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Style

“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of phobia

noun

Example Sentences

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The Longest Long Words List

Face Your Fears

It's Not Just You, Charlie Brown

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