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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Recent Examples of phobia
Beyond needle phobia or the physical discomfort of injections, convenience is a key reason people may be interested in switching to the Wegovy pill.
—
Sean Hashmi, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The circumstances made the role ill-suited to Bennett, and everyone knew that Shawn was beset by phobias.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
One of my prompts on the app detailed my phobia of snails in detail.
—Isoke Atiba, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
For people with shark phobias—likely traumatized by movies like Jaws—such advances could help make getting in the water a little easier.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Sean Hashmi, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The circumstances made the role ill-suited to Bennett, and everyone knew that Shawn was beset by phobias.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
One of my prompts on the app detailed my phobia of snails in detail.
—Isoke Atiba, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
For people with shark phobias—likely traumatized by movies like Jaws—such advances could help make getting in the water a little easier.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
Noun
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Eyes wide, panting near panic, Foster perfectly captures the audience's own fear of being alone in the dark with a monster.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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Neighboring India, which is the world’s second-largest importer of LPG after China, is grappling with panic-buying among its own citizens amid wild swings in the price of international Brent crude oil, which as of early Friday was above $100 a barrel.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At one point, Adams appeared to suggest without explanation that a terror attack could become more likely in the city if Mamdani was elected.—
ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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The victims inside Temple Israel, the congregation that had just survived a terror attack on American soil, should have been the complete and total focus.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The president is fighting against historical headwinds for the party in power and, like President Joe Biden before him, is navigating voter anxiety about the cost of living in America.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Mar. 2026
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In a year where anxiety over studio contraction and the rise of artificial intelligence often consumed the industry, both films gave Hollywood fresh hope.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The National Zoo announced Friday that its 5-week-old Asian elephant calf, Linh Mai, will make her debut before the general public — and on the elephant cam — on April 22, an introduction to human society that follows a brief health scare.—
Michael E. Ruane,
Washington Post,
13 Mar. 2026
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Use scare devices to discourage birds from visiting.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The real fright, though, came midway through that final frame, when star center Dylan Larkin went down in a heap after his skate seemed to catch awkwardly on the ice.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Many movies tried to recreate its magic mixture, including some of its own sequels, but few achieved the merry concoction of frights, gore, and giggles that Craven handled so masterfully.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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