banshee

noun

Definition of bansheenext
as in demon
a female spirit in Irish and Scottish stories who cries loudly to warn people that someone is going to die soon claimed to have heard the terrifying wail of a banshee

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of banshee The bond between a rider and their banshee doesn't break, and chances are your bond with this two-figure set won't either. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025 Then, like an alarm clock, howler monkeys unleashed their banshee shriek, staking their territory as the sun rose. — Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025 His bronc riders look more like pietàs in mud; his barrel racers scream like banshees on horseback. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 Temperance let loose a banshee wail. — Charna Flam, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for banshee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banshee
  1. demon
  2. phantom
  3. ghoul
  4. vampire
  5. ghost
  6. wraith
  7. apparition
  8. hag
Noun
  • As Capers endured a whirlwind of intense scrutiny during that time, he was forced to confront painful memories and long-dormant demons.
    — Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The iconic flashing logo behind and above the band was larger, Simmons’ side of the stage was modeled after his demon persona and Frehley’s was themed around his associations with outer space.
    — Wes Orshoski, SPIN, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • Both phantoms were packed with thousands of dosimeters, tracking radiation dose over specific phases of the flight rather than just a cumulative total.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The two phantoms were designed to be adult females, since previous research found that breasts and ovaries are especially susceptible to radiation damage.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of phantom
Noun
  • Gemma even winds up having to give a teeth cleaning to one of the silent, creepy ghouls pursuing her.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Practicality Viewers know Walton Goggins’ Cooper Howard as a ghoul because of radiation from a bomb dropped in 2077.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghoul
Noun
  • For those of us still mourning the end of The Vampire Lestat, thankfully, AMC is releasing a whole concert of the bratty vampire in performance at the Beacon Theatre.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Bedbugs are sometimes called the vampires of the insect world — hiding during the day and coming out at night to feast on human blood.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of vampire
Noun
  • The official residence was the site of two bloody coup attempts in the 1930s, and legend has it that the building is haunted by ghosts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Is that wider access to justice or an unlicensed ghost practicing law?
    — Hamid Kohan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • Next comes the arrival of a tinkling blue ice cream truck manned by an eerily silent, smiling, wraith-like purveyor (Ari Millen) with a John Waters mustache.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Pilots can see bad weather lurking in the distance hours before takeoff, glowing like a wraith on their digital maps.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of wraith
Noun
  • One minute, the stubble field in front of his stand had been empty, and then suddenly, like an apparition, a whitetail buck had appeared.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of apparition
Noun
  • The cast are clustered around a table of props and despite her disappointment at the lack of hag wigs, Dale Dickey is flapping a fishing net like a seafaring matador.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Pinned beneath her rotting legs in his recliner chair, Loftis narrowly escapes by yanking its lever, catapulting the hag over his head.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of hag

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Cite this Entry

“Banshee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banshee. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on banshee

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about banshee

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