bugaboos

noun

plural of bugaboo
as in dreads
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason doing one's tax returns is a real bugaboo for a lot of people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bugaboos Best Supporting Actress One of Hickey’s bugaboos is the way the supporting races have often been gift-wrapped early, with co-leads like Emilia Pérez’s Zoe Saldaña and A Real Pain’s Kieran Culkin sweeping to victory. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026 Now, for one of their chief bugaboos — a primary culprit for the mediocre record through 32 games. — Joe Vardon, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025 James went down a lengthy list of bugaboos that hurt the Chargers, including but not limited to 14 penalties totaling 107 yards, the Giants’ 7-for-15 efficiency on third downs, a lackluster start that featured deficits of 10-0 and 13-3 in the first half and a failure to force a New York turnover. — Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025 Getting the focus right is one of the bugaboos of using a telephoto lens for astrophotography, because the focus on such lenses is touchy and easily gets knocked off kilter. — IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugaboos
  1. dreads
  2. terrors
  3. bugbears
  4. plagues
  5. hobgoblins
  6. enemies
  7. spirits
Noun
  • He's described by officials as a Black male in his late teens with a medium-large build and thick dreads.
    — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 15 June 2026
  • Mirror images except for the fact that Jelani has his hair in dreads, while Ari goes with the more retro-look afro.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Definition of dreads
Noun
  • The woods could be hiding places of witches and sorcerers, disguised as the old and feeble, but capable of summoning wonder and terrors, charms as well as curses.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • Which iconic horrors will return to haunt the hallowed halls of 13 and what new terrors await?
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2026
Definition of terrors
Noun
  • This has been one of its main bugbears for years, with several engine types experimented with.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The bugbears of this season — wasting promising chances (though Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce deserves credit for many of those) and some vulnerability to counter-attacks — remained.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of bugbears
Noun
  • The deadliest animal to have ever roamed the earth is not the great white shark, or snakes, or even rats that caused three great plagues in history, decimating the human population at the time.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 July 2026
  • How many malodorously toxic episodes does that make toward the seven plagues in the Old Testament?
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of plagues
Noun
  • In another fates-or-hobgoblins moment, a discombobulated Washington had started a war.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Definition of hobgoblins
Noun
  • Friday is here and that means all you Competitive Wordle players, playing against your friends, co-workers, rivals, enemies, or against me or the Wordle Bot, must double your points, whether positive or negative.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The enemies today are no longer on the battlefields, dropping bombs from the air or firing on our ships from under the sea.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • The three will open Terruño Ancestral Spirits in the LoDo space later this month, showcasing spirits from their native Mexico along with traditional dishes beyond the Tex-Mex style that has become commonplace in the states.
    — Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike many other spirits, gin allows each botanical to play a defining role in the final profile.
    — Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of spirits

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Cite this Entry

“Bugaboos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboos. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bugaboos for Spanish Speakers

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