Recent developments have highlighted the role of inhibitory learning in exposure therapy for fears and phobias. Advances in basic science suggest that two types of verbal processing, labeling and reappraisal, may enhance inhibitory processes in exposure. To this end, we evaluated these methods of verbalization during exposure within a spider-fearful sample. Eighty-eight participants (22 per experimental condition; 82% female, M age = 20.5 years) completed study procedures. First, we evaluated whether a labeling condition and a reappraisal condition attenuated fear responding relative to a distraction condition and an exposure-alone condition, from baseline to immediate re-test and one-week re-test. Autonomic (heart rate, skin conductance), self-report (affect, cognitions), and behavioral (avoidance behavior) indices of fear responding were measured at each occasion. Results indicated that the labeling condition generally attenuated heart rate and skin conductance response, and increased approach behavior, to a greater degree than the reappraisal, distraction, and exposure-alone conditions. The distraction condition attenuated self-reported distress to a greater degree than the labeling, reappraisal, and exposure-alone conditions. In addition, we evaluated whether verbalization at re-test reduced fear responding relative to exposure-alone at re-test, and was necessary for longterm maintenance of fear reduction. Results indicated that for the labeling and reappraisal conditions, verbalization at re-test enhanced reduction of anticipatory skin conductance response to a greater degree than observed for the exposure-alone condition. Last, we evaluated aspects of exposure process across the conditions, including fear responding during exposure and word use during exposure. Results suggested good adherence to verbalization instructions for each of the four study conditions, and possible differences across the conditions in exposure process, wherein the labeling condition involved higher heart rate than the other conditions and greater variability in heart rate than the reappraisal condition during exposure. Together, these findings highlight the potential value of labeling during exposure, both labeling of one's perceptions of a feared stimulus and one's own negative affective response, to attenuate fear responding at retest. It appears that labeling may facilitate a more complete experience of exposure that ultimately serves to reduce fear responding in the longer term. Findings may provide new tools to that directly incorporate labeling in exposure therapy and inform the development of more effective treatments for phobias and other anxiety disorders.