1
as in elves
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a hobgoblin who plays pranks such as spoiling milk and tripping old ladies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in dreads
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
the fear of success and the pressures that come with it can be more of a hobgoblin than the possibility of failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblins
Noun
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The theft follows a similar incident in December, when members of the same group flooded into a Montreal grocery store dressed as Santa Clause and his elves, stealing food and leaving some of it gift-wrapped under a nearby Christmas tree.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026 -
One of Magnason’s first jobs was at the National Archives of Iceland, where he was surrounded by books about the old Norse gods, colonial histories, and even stories about elves.—
Marya E. Gates,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The courtroom doors cracked open, and a Black woman with long dreads walked in.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
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Also, there is this human white boy with dreads, Spider, a Tarzan type who hangs around the Sullys with the help of an oxygen mask.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Plans include music, magic shows, face painting, stilt walkers, fairies, robots, a giant LED screen showing the ball drop from Times Square and more.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
29 Dec. 2025
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If your favorite writer wishes they could be whisked away to the land of fairies and Björk and neighborhood hot springs, try cutting a large international corner with this bath product straight from the famous Blue Lagoon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Almost every one of Arsenal’s title-winning seasons in living memory has had a moment where the terrors set in.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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The lustrous surfaces hide moral horrors, silence emotional terrors, and block out the filth beyond their boundaries.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Shrek and Fiona are now both full-time ogres, but Fiona’s parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) aren’t too thrilled, as a particularly tense family dinner scene makes clear.—
Skyler Trepel September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The ditch that’s up to 19 feet deep dwarfs the heavy machinery inside of it.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
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Plus Brock and Sindri, the gear upgrade dwarves.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To see him in such high spirits, seemingly not dampened by being rested for the final half-hour as Chelsea continue to manage his minutes, was a rare treat.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Some readers may be old enough to remember the 1976 Bicentennial, which occurred during one of the city’s lowest ebbs and lifted everyone’s spirits.—
John Calvelli,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblins. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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