as in horrors
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
that 20-page exam was a nightmare
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nightmares
Now imagine all their parents having nightmares that this was their university experience.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Set amid the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the tragic tale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is famous for allowing real nightmares to masquerade as bloody fairytales.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 June 2026
Colleen and Brett say their daughter, who still walks with a limp and is dealing with nightmares, has a long road to recovery filled with physical therapy, lab work and more.
—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
For many people, finding roaches in their bedroom at night is the stuff of nightmares.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
And that’s the stuff that should really give us nightmares.
—
Spin Team,
SPIN,
22 June 2026
The bench eventually became long and gifted with Te-Hina Paopao, Madina Okot and others, and then the Dream caused nightmares for their opponents with one of the grandest deals ever during WNBA free agency.
—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
The grisly details were the stuff of nightmares.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 June 2026
Older children may have panic attacks, nightmares, and difficulty focusing, Mendoza said.
—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Set amid the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the tragic tale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is famous for allowing real nightmares to masquerade as bloody fairytales.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 June 2026
Colleen and Brett say their daughter, who still walks with a limp and is dealing with nightmares, has a long road to recovery filled with physical therapy, lab work and more.
—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
For many people, finding roaches in their bedroom at night is the stuff of nightmares.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
And that’s the stuff that should really give us nightmares.
—
Spin Team,
SPIN,
22 June 2026
The bench eventually became long and gifted with Te-Hina Paopao, Madina Okot and others, and then the Dream caused nightmares for their opponents with one of the grandest deals ever during WNBA free agency.
—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
The grisly details were the stuff of nightmares.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 June 2026
Older children may have panic attacks, nightmares, and difficulty focusing, Mendoza said.
—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmares
Noun
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Many of its founding members had seen the horrors of World War I up close (Breton and several others had served in the French army) and blamed their fathers’ generation for the carnage.
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Netflix is releasing a new game show, one that combines the popularity of Squid Game, the timeless charms of the live-action Wonka experience, and the unwanted ubiquity of technofascist horrors beyond our comprehension.
Noun
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The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
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Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.
Noun
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Tykes get slapped around, shot with arrows and dangled in traffic — tortures that are played seriously, but the shock of them allows you to guffaw.
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But such judgments often come from a place of distance—from people who have never lived under a theocracy that imprisons, tortures, and kills with impunity.
Noun
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The sad thing is that the miseries return, but there is no other Garrincha available.
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The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.
Noun
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So too did Trump spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, who compared the president’s torments to those of Jesus.
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In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.
Cite this Entry
“Nightmares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmares. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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