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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Recent Examples of banshee
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
There aren’t songs with Chino screaming like a banshee, nor are there any overindulging atmospheric tracks.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banshee
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
There aren’t songs with Chino screaming like a banshee, nor are there any overindulging atmospheric tracks.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banshee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banshee
Noun
-
For most of her career, Gauff has rarely displayed anything close to a meltdown, rarely appeared to wrestle with the emotional demons that so often undo tennis players.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
Logan, Cal and Kayce (Grimes) both have their demons.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
That’s the £312 million phantom.—
Maman Ibrahim,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jittery housemaid Miss Lamb (Thomasin McKenzie) proves less trouble to manage, as Fred scares the wits out of her with bogus talk of a ghoul wandering the Moors.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
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At the title track’s video shoot, Michael gives directorial instructions in full ghoul makeup.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jarmusch wrote and directed this story of laconic vampires, creatures who have lived so long and seen so much that the world mostly leaves them apathetic.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
-
However, when stars have a binary partner, white dwarfs can spring back to life like cosmic vampires by stripping material off these companion stars.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The ghost called Sidhangana, who acts as chorus, is the rainbow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
The series was an anthology hosted by the titular Frankelda, the ghost of an aspiring horror writer, who told stories about children encountering the paranormal.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The score by Joseph Bishara is shivery with chorales that moan like wraiths in the wind.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 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
Noun
-
Soon, the governess starts seeing the apparition of the former governess, Miss Jessel, and former valet, Peter Quint, both recently dead.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
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The peak of Mercury's apparition (for latitude 40 degrees north) and its greatest elongation from the sun don't occur until the middle of June.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
And nor are any of the spooky figures, which range from 1950s housewives to toothless hags.—
The Week,
TheWeek,
7 May 2026
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Ah, the famous and epic love between an up-and-coming designer and his hag.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Banshee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banshee. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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