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Recent Examples of incubus
The Devil’s Museum, a satellite of the main collection, has amassed more than 3,000 depictions of demons, evil spirits and incubus from around the world.
—
Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Your fame sits beside you like an incubus, and people are embarrassed and want to leave the room.
—Candace Bushnell, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2025
This meaning is visualized in Henry Fuseli’s 1781 painting The Nightmare, which shows a woman sleeping peacefully on a couch while a nauseating monster—an incubus—sits portentously on her abdomen, unbeknownst to her.
—Time, 28 Dec. 2022
As Tommy’s experiences in the tunnels of France mark a continued incubus for his character, with visions of being pulled into the mud, the sounding of the bell coincides with his own inner peace.
—Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 13 June 2022
An incubus is the male variety (and also that band).
—Angie Jones, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2022
Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Your fame sits beside you like an incubus, and people are embarrassed and want to leave the room.
—Candace Bushnell, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2025
This meaning is visualized in Henry Fuseli’s 1781 painting The Nightmare, which shows a woman sleeping peacefully on a couch while a nauseating monster—an incubus—sits portentously on her abdomen, unbeknownst to her.
—Time, 28 Dec. 2022
As Tommy’s experiences in the tunnels of France mark a continued incubus for his character, with visions of being pulled into the mud, the sounding of the bell coincides with his own inner peace.
—Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 13 June 2022
An incubus is the male variety (and also that band).
—Angie Jones, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incubus
Noun
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Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, the film follows a K-pop supergroup who must balance their lives as world-famous pop stars with their secret side hustle as demon slayers.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Never mind The Bear — meet the Boss, fighting the same demons and nagging feelings of self-doubt that would cause Carmy Berzatto to stoically nod in recognition.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Frehley picks up on the drummer’s simmering syncopation hereand unleashes a banshee-like howl of a solo that still clings to the band’s rhythm.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
His bronc riders look more like pietàs in mud; his barrel racers scream like banshees on horseback.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But this Halloween, chasing away the ghouls haunting Tesla looks like a miracle too far.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Haunted Trail takes visitors outdoors through a path with dense fog and several haunting installations with zombies, a ghoul bus, a graveyard filled with ghosts, chainsaw maniacs and more.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In this 2000 film starring Taylor Handley and Mickey Rooney, 17-year-old Pete Riley (Handley) works at the local movie theater, which is rumored to be haunted by a phantom.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Veneziale’s dad is often responsible for picking up items further afield, such as an animated phantom that had been listed on Facebook Marketplace.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On his journey, Geralt slices up several soldiers, a giant, ogre-like creature and a ghostly wraith.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In the footage, Geralt approaches the domain of a wraith and battles the skeletal specter, culminating in a heart-ripping moment.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
It’s believed that the 13th-century castle is haunted by a magical imp who frequently visits the Markomanka and Hlíza, or black, towers.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Tim Burton's film explores the border between life and the afterlife with some of the best in the biz, from Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin’s wholesome (and dead) homeowners to Winona Ryder's angsty teen to her ridiculous mother (Catherine O'Hara) to the imp with a limp (Michael Keaton).—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Pfizer is a bogeyman of the anti-vaccine movement that Kennedy once led, due largely to its leading role in the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.—
Colin Meyn,
The Hill,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Adrian Morejon struck out one in 2 1/3 scoreless innings and gave way to the San Diego bogeyman Mason Miller, who cranked it up to 104 mph in a strikeout of Carson Kelly and struck out five in 1 2/3 innings.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The specter of war is difficult to reconcile with the carefree bustle of downtown Taipei, where on a cool June evening bickering families and doe-eyed couples throng the city’s night markets as ever before.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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Thereafter, the Karem Abu Salem crossing—the only commercial crossing through which goods and aid are allowed to enter the Strip—was forcibly closed, rendering the citizens of the Gaza Strip generally, and the north of Gaza specifically, to confront the specter of hunger once again.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incubus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incubus. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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