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.
A far cry from the gawky and boyish Norman Bates, B.Z. is a floppy-haired, closeted Hollywood player slowly dissolving in his own nihilism. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025 Down the road in Indiana, Emma (Samantha Rich) has a closeted relationship with Alyssa (Madelyn Davis-Haddad), so their prom represents a big night. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025 The confusion about whether or not Farnsworth had been outed gave screenwriter Paul Rudnick the idea for In & Out, a movie about a closeted high school teacher whose secret is inadvertently revealed during a former student’s acceptance speech at the Oscars. Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025 The actor, 51, broke out in a series of a roles in the early 2000s, playing a closeted gay Mormon in Mike Nichols’ Angels in America for HBO in 2003 and then Brad, a suburban dad set adrift in Little Children, Todd Field‘s 2006 adaptation of the novel by Tom Perrotta. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 2025.

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