claustrophobia
noun
claus·tro·pho·bia
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə 
1
: abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces
2
: a feeling of discomfort or discontent caused by being in a limiting or restrictive situation or environment
While recovering in the hospital, she recognizes the claustrophobia of her working-class life, shared with a suffocatingly affectionate mother and a dud of a dad.—
Barbara Tritel
Barbara TritelExamples of claustrophobia in a Sentence
She doesn't go in elevators because of her claustrophobia.
the claustrophobia of small-town life
Recent Examples on the Web
With tunnel dimensions measuring 13.5 feet in diameter and depths up to 80 feet underground, some might worry about experiencing claustrophobia while riding in a Tesla.
—Stuart Dyos, The Tennessean, 30 July 2025
People with claustrophobia may struggle to tolerate being inside the MRI machine.
—Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 14 June 2025
The terror is real, y'all, and the killer extraterrestrial goes perfectly with the galactic claustrophobia.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 June 2025
The claustrophobia of having no privacy while having no company is evoked to create a pressure cooker environment where violence might erupt at any moment.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 2025
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Stuart Dyos, The Tennessean, 30 July 2025
People with claustrophobia may struggle to tolerate being inside the MRI machine.
—Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 14 June 2025
The terror is real, y'all, and the killer extraterrestrial goes perfectly with the galactic claustrophobia.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 June 2025
The claustrophobia of having no privacy while having no company is evoked to create a pressure cooker environment where violence might erupt at any moment.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for claustrophobia
Cite this Entry
“Claustrophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/claustrophobia. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
claustrophobia
noun
claus·tro·pho·bia
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə
: abnormal fear of being in closed or narrow spaces
claustrophobic
adjective
-ˈfō-bik
Medical Definition
claustrophobia
noun
claus·tro·pho·bia
ˌklȯ-strə-ˈfō-bē-ə
: abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces
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