as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
during the World Wars, fighter pilots adopted the fanciful notion that gremlins were responsible for mechanical failures on their planes
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gremlin
Don’t let fear of your inner gremlins stop you from self-work to level up your life.
—
Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Not like a law breaker; more like a gremlin.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
Of course, chaos ensues when those rules are broken, unleashing a horde of mischievous, destructive gremlins on his small town.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 22 Dec. 2025
Almost like a gremlin, the same creature that appears small and tiny then molts its skin and then becomes huge.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Not like a law breaker; more like a gremlin.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
Of course, chaos ensues when those rules are broken, unleashing a horde of mischievous, destructive gremlins on his small town.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 22 Dec. 2025
Almost like a gremlin, the same creature that appears small and tiny then molts its skin and then becomes huge.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gremlin
Noun
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Their modus operandi is to rescue interesting old buildings in a sorry state of disrepair and liberally sprinkle fairy dust over them.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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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.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Noun
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There’s also caviar and cookies and Christmas trees and Housewives and Bravolebrities, all surrounded by twink elves in Christmas G-strings.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
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The company behind that trio of elves, some of the most iconic mascots in pop culture, is the same corporation that put breakfast on the table in the first place.—
Heather Bushman,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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OpenAI leaned into the curious habit, choosing to highlight the goblin-forbidding prompt in a tweet.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The maker of ChatGPT has an explanation for all the goblin talk.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Over billions of years, the galaxy probably collided with smaller dwarf galaxies, which brought in fresh gas and stars and helped build up the outer spiral arms.—
Lisa Kewley,
The Conversation,
14 May 2026
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The shrub grows 6 to 15 feet tall; there are dwarf, medium-sized, and tall varieties.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gremlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gremlin. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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