diff --git a/Lib/annotationlib.py b/Lib/annotationlib.py
index c41df197eee7d5..ba5902cfac8c30 100644
--- a/Lib/annotationlib.py
+++ b/Lib/annotationlib.py
@@ -122,7 +122,16 @@ def evaluate(
                 is_forwardref_format = True
             case _:
                 raise NotImplementedError(format)
-        if isinstance(self.__cell__, types.CellType):
+        if (
+            globals is None
+            and locals is None
+            and isinstance(self.__cell__, types.CellType)
+        ):
+            # The cell holds the value of the name from the enclosing scope.
+            # Take this shortcut only if no namespaces were provided;
+            # otherwise, the resolution below gives an explicitly passed
+            # locals precedence over the cell, and the cell precedence
+            # over globals.
             try:
                 return self.__cell__.cell_contents
             except ValueError:
@@ -194,9 +203,18 @@ def evaluate(
             resolved = _sentinel
             if arg in locals:
                 resolved = locals[arg]
-            elif arg in globals:
+            elif isinstance(self.__cell__, types.CellType):
+                # The cell holds the value of the name from the enclosing
+                # scope. Like the dict-of-cells path above, which merges
+                # cells into locals with setdefault, it takes precedence
+                # over globals, but not over locals.
+                try:
+                    resolved = self.__cell__.cell_contents
+                except ValueError:
+                    pass
+            if resolved is _sentinel and arg in globals:
                 resolved = globals[arg]
-            elif hasattr(builtins, arg):
+            elif resolved is _sentinel and hasattr(builtins, arg):
                 resolved = getattr(builtins, arg)
 
             if resolved is not _sentinel:
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_annotationlib.py b/Lib/test/test_annotationlib.py
index 56e5731849cbd7..61073043e0c933 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_annotationlib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_annotationlib.py
@@ -2525,6 +2525,63 @@ class C[T]:
 
         alias = list
 
+    def test_evaluate_cell_with_explicit_namespaces(self):
+        def inner(arg: x):
+            pass
+
+        fwdref = get_annotations(inner, format=Format.FORWARDREF)["arg"]
+        self.assertIsInstance(fwdref, ForwardRef)
+        self.assertIsInstance(fwdref.__cell__, types.CellType)
+
+        x = 1
+        # With no explicit namespaces, the value from the enclosing
+        # scope, held in the cell, is used.
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(), 1)
+        # An explicitly passed locals takes precedence over the cell,
+        # but globals does not: the cell holds a nonlocal binding, which
+        # sits between locals and globals in the lookup order (as in
+        # the dict-of-cells path, where the cells are merged into the
+        # locals with setdefault).
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(locals={"x": 2}), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(globals={"x": 3}), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(globals={"x": 3}, locals={"x": 2}), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            fwdref.evaluate(locals={"x": 2}, format=Format.FORWARDREF), 2
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            fwdref.evaluate(globals={"x": 3}, format=Format.FORWARDREF), 1
+        )
+        # If the name is not in the explicit namespaces, the cell
+        # value is used as a fallback.
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(locals={}), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(globals={}), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(locals={"y": 2}), 1)
+
+    def test_evaluate_empty_cell_with_explicit_namespaces(self):
+        def inner(arg: x):
+            pass
+
+        fwdref = get_annotations(inner, format=Format.FORWARDREF)["arg"]
+        self.assertIsInstance(fwdref, ForwardRef)
+        self.assertIsInstance(fwdref.__cell__, types.CellType)
+
+        x = 1
+        del x
+        # The cell is empty, so the name cannot be resolved without
+        # explicit namespaces.
+        with self.assertRaises(NameError):
+            fwdref.evaluate()
+        # Explicitly passed namespaces are still consulted.
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(locals={"x": 2}), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(globals={"x": 3}), 3)
+
+        # Refilling the cell restores it: an explicitly passed locals
+        # still takes precedence over it, but globals does not.
+        x = 7
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(), 7)
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(locals={"x": 2}), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(fwdref.evaluate(globals={"x": 3}), 7)
+
     def test_fwdref_final_class(self):
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             class C(ForwardRef):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-30-10-03-32.gh-issue-160948.k9Wd3s.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-30-10-03-32.gh-issue-160948.k9Wd3s.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..19bcd76a815a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-30-10-03-32.gh-issue-160948.k9Wd3s.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Fixed :meth:`annotationlib.ForwardRef.evaluate` silently ignoring an
+explicitly passed *locals* when the reference holds a single closure
+cell. An explicit *locals* now takes precedence over the cell, as on
+the other resolution paths; the cell still takes precedence over
+*globals*, since it holds a nonlocal binding.