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

And the resulting panic about disorder was then exploited to enable still more dehumanizing.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Instead of panic, Shapero said employers should see their staff’s posts as free advertising.

— Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of panic

Noun

Phobos and Deimos take their names from the Greek mythological personifications of fear and terror, sons of the war god Ares, whose Roman counterpart is Mars.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Founded in 2015 by Thomas Brag, Matt Dajer, Ammar Kandil and Derin Emre, the group gained traction through their videos about travel, adventure and, in the wake of terror attacks in Beirut and Paris, inclusivity.

— Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of terror

Noun

When the line between general unease with not knowing crosses into anxiety that interferes with daily life, people should seek professional help, said Dugas.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Given Abbey’s anxieties about spending money and fear of not having enough, Stacy plans to use very conservative assumptions for inflation, health costs and average returns when making her projections based on Abbey’s savings today.

— Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

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

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phlegmatic

phobia

phobias

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“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of phobia

noun

Example Sentences

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Face Your Fears

It's Not Just You, Charlie Brown

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