as in hidden
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as in housed
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers
he closeted himself in his study, vowing not to emerge until he had finished the term paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of closeted
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2026
The show, which revolves around the romance between two closeted professional hockey stars, is available on HBO Max in the United States and Crave in Canada.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Or perhaps the speaker could recognize that a cousin at the table may be closeted, and take it upon themselves to model how to push back against transphobia.
—Lee Bebout, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for closeted
Adjective
During an interview on the SiriusXM podcast Andy Cohen Live, Williams also said that since the show’s release, several closeted pro athletes have reached out to him directly, including some who have played professional hockey.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2026
The show, which revolves around the romance between two closeted professional hockey stars, is available on HBO Max in the United States and Crave in Canada.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
Dale, who was closeted at the time of his death, leaves behind notes stashed inside his treasured first-edition books hinting that his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) may have had something to do with his ostensible suicide.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Or perhaps the speaker could recognize that a cousin at the table may be closeted, and take it upon themselves to model how to push back against transphobia.
—Lee Bebout, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for closeted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeted
Adjective
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Marcellus calls this the hidden superpower of the device.—
Ciara Lucas,
SELF,
9 Feb. 2026
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Shopping in such places often requires a little imagination and some digging, but the extra effort makes discovering a hidden gem amongst everything else all the more exciting.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Children’s Museum and its preschool were housed in a building in the town’s center alongside its lifesize statue of Conny the sperm whale.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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Private school students — who are disproportionately affluent, stably housed and high-performing — are not included in state averages.—
Jill Stegman,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Walters and her lawyers had argued that repressed memories delayed the filing.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
27 Jan. 2026
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The more involved Jana becomes, the more she is forced to confront her past and her repressed memories.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Phones, Tablets, and Connected Devices AI isn’t confined to televisions.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, those vibrations confined to the molecular plane were far less affected.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Whether on the stage or the red carpet, the star has always approached dressing with an original and personal flair.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
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It is supposed to be central to our political, social and personal considerations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Our approach to understanding the meat computers encased in our skulls has historically varied by discipline.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Made by a design studio in San Francisco, the Nikois encased in white ash wood combines minimalism and functionality, perfectly integrating into any contemporary space.—
Kelsey Borovinsky,
Architectural Digest,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Watch it for its skin-deep enticement, its powerful visual devices, but also its concealed malignancy.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The airspace over Los Angeles is among the most congested in the world, but the Hollywood Burbank Airport is uniquely situated in the base of a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides, creating extremely tight parameters around the midsize airport.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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The indoor heated swimming pool is a treasure, surrounded by chaise lounges stacked with thick towels.—
Janice Wald Henderson,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeted. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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