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
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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
The turbulence created in a car’s wake is the eternal bugbear of F1 fans and rulemakers.
—
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Take The Mandibles, a book that revolves around the national debt, long a bugbear of hers.
—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
The question of how to fly with a cello is a bugbear among many string players.
—
John Phipps,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Duffy’s bugbears include the aforementioned fisticuffs, a lack of pleases and thank yous for staff, and the reluctance of current passengers to help the aged, the infirm, and the pregnant.
—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Take The Mandibles, a book that revolves around the national debt, long a bugbear of hers.
—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
The question of how to fly with a cello is a bugbear among many string players.
—
John Phipps,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Duffy’s bugbears include the aforementioned fisticuffs, a lack of pleases and thank yous for staff, and the reluctance of current passengers to help the aged, the infirm, and the pregnant.
—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbear
Noun
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Great productions of Sondheim musicals, and this is one of those, always fill you with a certain existential dread.
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Dong recalled that dread ran deep because his tiny boat might capsize if the winds and waves picked up.
Noun
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Intense exercise on a sizzling day can lead to extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration, all symptoms of exertional heat illness.
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Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome causes fatigue, fever, muscle aches, abdominal problems, headaches, chills and dizziness in the early stages, and late symptoms include chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath and lungs filling with fluid.
Noun
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This thing of like trying to paint a certain type or color or class of people as the enemy and the great bugaboo in America?
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If there’s any big bugaboo in his profile, he can be beaten by higher-end velocity, but his ability to adjust to secondary offerings keeps him afloat.
Noun
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Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.
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An individual bush can grow up to 15 feet high and 40 feet long, with thick stems, also known as canes, marked by sharp, hooked thorns.
Noun
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Thibault in a news conference Tuesday said that authorities believe the incident was not related to terror.
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Meanwhile, frightful aftershocks continued to rock the area, sowing terror in a population already reaching the limits of endurance.
Noun
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And to add insult to social and cultural injury, the new policies also present a logistical nuisance.
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In New York, night clubs were sometimes regarded as a civic nuisance; one obstacle was the city’s cabaret law, from 1926, which required bars to obtain a special permit if patrons were dancing and was not fully repealed until 2017.
Noun
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His death in an enemy attack plays into a powerful Shi'ite tradition of martyrdom and mourning, in which processions of flagellants beat their chests or backs.
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The day for battle is near, many of our enemies are arming themselves.
Noun
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This would let traffic flow, which is so necessary for the vitality and economy of Chicago; provide a safer route for bikers; and ease the frustration of all of those on the streets of Chicago.
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Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.
Cite this Entry
“Bugbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbear. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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