as in elves
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
dressed up the toddlers like goblins for Halloween
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Recent Examples of goblins
Two years ago, the Man City phenom appeared in a 90-second spot for the game that saw him get recruited to storm a castle teeming with goblins, dragons and impish skeletons.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2026
Follow the babe with the power into Jim Henson’s gloriously weird fantasy wonderland, where goblins sing, doors argue, and David Bowie’s Goblin King serves enough glam-rock charisma to power an entire kingdom.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
24 June 2026
In recent weeks, social media users, especially on X, have been noticing increasing references to goblins, along with other fantasy creatures such as gremlins, ogres and trolls in ChatGPT’s answers to user queries.
—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Anecdotal evidence on social media shows some users complaining about GPT’s penchant for focusing on goblins in completely unrelated conversations in recent days.
—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2026
This one just happens to involve wizards, goblins, and one savage, half-blind dragon.
—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Henson was cast as Hoggle, one of the film’s most prominent goblins and Sarah’s reluctant ally, while also managing puppeteering responsibilities behind the scenes.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.
—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
20 Dec. 2025
On this day, candles were blessed for use in the coming year, and any decorations left up were thought to be at risk of becoming infested with goblins.
—
Bobbi Sutherland,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2026
Follow the babe with the power into Jim Henson’s gloriously weird fantasy wonderland, where goblins sing, doors argue, and David Bowie’s Goblin King serves enough glam-rock charisma to power an entire kingdom.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
24 June 2026
In recent weeks, social media users, especially on X, have been noticing increasing references to goblins, along with other fantasy creatures such as gremlins, ogres and trolls in ChatGPT’s answers to user queries.
—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Anecdotal evidence on social media shows some users complaining about GPT’s penchant for focusing on goblins in completely unrelated conversations in recent days.
—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2026
This one just happens to involve wizards, goblins, and one savage, half-blind dragon.
—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Henson was cast as Hoggle, one of the film’s most prominent goblins and Sarah’s reluctant ally, while also managing puppeteering responsibilities behind the scenes.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.
—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
20 Dec. 2025
On this day, candles were blessed for use in the coming year, and any decorations left up were thought to be at risk of becoming infested with goblins.
—
Bobbi Sutherland,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goblins
Noun
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Ferrell starred as Buddy in the 2003 Christmas classic, which focused on a human adopted by elves and raised as an elf in the North Pole until one day, as an adult, discovering his true identity.
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At the end of 2005-2006, a whole host of elves got arrested and were sent to prison.
Noun
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Lawn Ornaments Too many lawn ornaments, such as gnomes, fairies, dolls, or flamingos, read as tacky to Emily Roose, the founder of Emily Roose Interiors.
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And creatures — fairies, a faun, the unforgettable Pale Man, with eyes in the palms of his hands — reveal a world of deeper and darker enchantment.
Noun
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As virality goes, this is not a big number, but the passion that the account has aroused dwarfs its reach.
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Major props to the dwarfs who saw this as a convenient way to score help in the cleaning department.
Cite this Entry
“Goblins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goblins. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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