closeted

adjective

clos·​et·​ed ˈklä-zə-təd How to pronounce closeted (audio)
ˈklȯ-
: closet entry 3 sense 3
a closeted gay man

Examples of closeted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In the series, Skinner plays closeted jock, Benny Scanlon, who’s trying to navigate his freshman year of college. Vincent Perella, IndieWire, 2 June 2025 The content creator and comedian, 31, is pulling triple duty as actor, executive producer and writer of his new original Prime Video series Overcompensating, a story about a closeted former football player finding himself in college, which is loosely based on Skinner’s real-life experience. Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 13 May 2025 The series, loosely inspired by the creator Jack Rooke’s university days, follows Jack (Dylan Llewellyn), a gay student who’s closeted and mourning the death of his father. Shivani Gonzalez, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025 Cena, who once filmed Trainwreck pretending to be a closeted bodybuilder desperate for zaftig comedian Amy Schumer’s affection, understands that the joke’s on him better than anyone. Oliver Bateman, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for closeted

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of closeted was in 1969

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Cite this Entry

“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closeted. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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