as in dread
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bugaboo
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
Recent evidence points to the Marlins being the kind of bugaboo for the New York teams, who face differing degrees of difficulty in their quests to become division winners.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Instead, the world over will have to increase more reliable energy sources, particularly coal, natural gas and that other bugaboo of environmentalists, nuclear energy.
—Peter Murphy, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
Forget the bugaboo of EV battery range.
—Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent evidence points to the Marlins being the kind of bugaboo for the New York teams, who face differing degrees of difficulty in their quests to become division winners.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Instead, the world over will have to increase more reliable energy sources, particularly coal, natural gas and that other bugaboo of environmentalists, nuclear energy.
—Peter Murphy, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
Forget the bugaboo of EV battery range.
—Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugaboo
Noun
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The filmmaker leans pop-comic rather than petrifying in his final draft, opting for earnestness that smothers atmospheric dread.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
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In its worst forms, paranoia is a misapplication of the tools of attention, devotion, and care, scuttled by dread, the oppression of the unknown, and a lack of support.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The critical bulletin issued to pilots and airlines not to fly below 18,000 feet was initially set for 10 days, a duration for a full grounding not used since the 9/11 terror attacks.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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The film delves into the fragility of the human mind, the dangers of AI warfare, and the indomitable spirit required to confront terror in an increasingly digital world.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What was once a virtue has become a generational bugbear.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
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The question of how to fly with a cello is a bugbear among many string players.—
John Phipps,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As a small rural settlement is swiftly and ruthlessly stripped bare by the twin plagues of a diphtheria epidemic and spreading wildfires, the film eventually descends into a near-literal hellscape, though even when pandemonium takes over on screen, Van Dusen’s formal control never wavers.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Published in 1842, Poe’s story follows Prince Prospero, who retreats with a group of nobles into a fortified abbey as a deadly plague ravages the countryside.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In blustery, demanding conditions at Atlantic Beach Country Club, Kress birdied four of his final five holes to post a bogey-free 6-under 66 as Florida edged UNC Wilmington by a stroke.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Matsuyama opened with a bogey-free 68 and began his second round with three straight pars.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboo. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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