as in anxiety
a feeling that one does not know the whole truth or that someone else is not being truthful
Each half of the unhappy couple was constantly wracked with paranoia that the other was cheating.
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Recent Examples of paranoia
As far as Garland’s projects go, Devs comes closest to matching the paranoia and droning anxiety of the multi-hyphenate’s literary work.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
The paranoia that now governs American life echoes the paranoid logic of the domestic thriller.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
At an Antarctic research station, a shape-shifting alien creature — in the initial guise of a dog — takes over and metamorphosizes into a variety of beings, supplanting the humans until their mutual distrust and isolation lead to paranoia and violence.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Rather than social paranoia per se, people simply become exceedingly guarded and opt to turn off all external contact.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
The paranoia that now governs American life echoes the paranoid logic of the domestic thriller.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
At an Antarctic research station, a shape-shifting alien creature — in the initial guise of a dog — takes over and metamorphosizes into a variety of beings, supplanting the humans until their mutual distrust and isolation lead to paranoia and violence.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Rather than social paranoia per se, people simply become exceedingly guarded and opt to turn off all external contact.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paranoia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paranoia
Noun
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The dueling anxieties have been brewing for months.—
Jeran Wittenstein,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Remember that meaning can vary widely from person to person—for example, a dog can mean safety and loyalty to one person or fear and anxiety to another.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, said the donor list signals concern among wealthy Californians about potential tax increases.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
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These activities, conducted outside normal flight paths near El Paso International Airport, caused FAA concern about possible interference with civilian flights.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Three people were taken into custody, and one was being held on suspicion of murder, Eisenman said.—
Jordan B. Darling,
Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Since the racial justice protests of 2020, however, political posting has existed under sustained suspicion as performative.—
Alessandra Schade,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Watch the video above to see Tashia’s joy and disbelief when Chris steps inside!—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
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Schneider watches the games from the owner’s suite, and when things go wrong, Allen turns to him with wide-eyed disbelief that speaks the universal language of a passionate fan.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paranoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paranoia. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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