1
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
communism was once the nation's biggest bugbear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
hated all the bugbears of modern life, especially those long commutes to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bugbear
To attribute the corrosion of institutional trust to such bugbears as relativism or postmodernism is to ignore explanations that are both more concrete and more parsimonious.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters As U.S. President Donald Trump looks to immediately fix his greatest political and economic bugbears, the thorny issue of NATO defense spending is likely to quickly return to the global fore.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025
The billionaire’s post on his social network X referred specifically to a Trump executive order ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion mandates — a longtime bugbear of world’s richest person, who runs six companies and has railed against DEI efforts for years.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 21 Jan. 2025
The new Conservative government, intent on reducing the deficit, cut deep and broad, slashing spending not just on party bugbears like welfare but also on public budgets for investment.
—Josh Holder, New York Times, 3 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters As U.S. President Donald Trump looks to immediately fix his greatest political and economic bugbears, the thorny issue of NATO defense spending is likely to quickly return to the global fore.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025
The billionaire’s post on his social network X referred specifically to a Trump executive order ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion mandates — a longtime bugbear of world’s richest person, who runs six companies and has railed against DEI efforts for years.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 21 Jan. 2025
The new Conservative government, intent on reducing the deficit, cut deep and broad, slashing spending not just on party bugbears like welfare but also on public budgets for investment.
—Josh Holder, New York Times, 3 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbear
Noun
-
At night, the power was often cut, and guards would scream threats into the darkness, heightening dread and disorientation.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
-
Anxiety is a feeling of fear and dread, often triggered by stressful situations, uncertainty, and perceived threats.12 People whose anxiety does not go away or gets worse over time may have an anxiety disorder.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Once doctors reviewed the family’s travel history, treatment was quickly shifted to address concerns of histoplasmosis, which the CDC explains can cause cause flu-like symptoms including fever and chills, malaise, cough, headache, chest pain and body aches.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
People.com,
23 May 2025
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Symptoms include persistent fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, brain fog, shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping, per the Virginia Department of Health.—
Tess DeMeyer,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Range anxiety, the bugaboo of all-electric driving, is even more frightening for all-electric flying, where running out of power has worse consequences than having to pull over to the side of the road.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 June 2017
-
One of the chief bugaboos for fossil fuel interests is a movement among the states to create Superfund-like programs that would require polluters to pay for damages caused by climate change disasters.—
Michael Hawthorne,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Entity’s human helper Gabriel (Esai Morales) becomes more of a thorn in Ethan’s side and our heroes scatter to London, South Africa and the Arctic on a mission that would be rather impossible for anyone not named Tom Cruise.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
Roses Landscape roses add no-fuss color and charm to your garden, but the thorns are not especially charming.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
And these types of messages go beyond being a mere nuisance.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
24 May 2025
-
In 2011, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit brought by a group of states (including California) against a number of power companies, claiming that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel generated electricity were a public nuisance under federal law.—
Josiah Neeley,
Oc Register,
21 May 2025
Noun
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In the trailer, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles) is recruited to be part of an elite team tasked with preventing a large scale terror attack in Los Angeles.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 May 2025
-
Hamas and other militant groups kidnapped 251 people from Israel during the October 7, 2023 terror attacks.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
Trump has expressed growing frustration with the rulings.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Tyler expresses frustration in hearing that from him and not from Brandon and Theresa themselves.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Sailing teaches us that being an honorable competitor is more important than being a top competitor because while every race is there to lose, luck is the omnipresent hobgoblin.—
Conor Mastromarco,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Nov. 2024
-
Gleeson’s Puck is a malevolent hobgoblin who serves as the royal jester to King Auberon of Faerie.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
2 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Bugbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbear. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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