as in ghouls
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 banshees
His bronc riders look more like pietàs in mud; his barrel racers scream like banshees on horseback.
—
Casey Cep, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Casey Cep, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banshees
Noun
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Even a half-century later, the undead ghouls that descend upon survivors in a Pennsylvania farm house are timeless and the gut-punch ending couldn't be more timely.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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With Adam Roberts announcing the tempos on the baby grand piano, the ghouls in Tevye’s nightmare emerge from around the fourposter.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Instead of teaching his nephew how to fight, Jake shows Marc what real courage is, facing down his own demons along the way.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
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In the process, Jake shows Marc what real courage is while facing down his own demons.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Just in time for Halloween, the sonic phantoms that have long plagued the ladies of The View have seemingly possessed inanimate objects over on the Live With Kelly and Mark set.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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Because contemporary phantoms of Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and Rolex are expertly constructed to entice even the most discerning eye, provenance is crucial.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Written by Port and Wiseman, Eternally Yours is an eternal love story about two vampires, Liz (Edwards) and Charles (Weeks), who have been married for five hundred years, and their struggles to accept the human, Max (Lewison), who is dating their daughter, Emma (Shen).—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
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And not just any vampires, but singing vampires!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The precarious state of her mind forces us to question whether Sylvia and Ted are ghosts, hallucinations or literary inventions sprung to life.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The show’s greatest strength was never just the jump scares or the hidden ghosts tucked into background shots.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Juggling demanding apparitions alongside staff burnout, family pressures and a coworker who seems to know more about her than expected, the series grounds its supernatural premise in the cultural specificity of the Filipino healthcare experience.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
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The image combines each planet's nightly positions during separate 2025 apparitions, assembled by astrophotographer Petr Horálek, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While spending several thousand dollars on a Scotch was not unheard of, this was the first time an American whiskey company offered a rare blend that rivaled other spirits from around the world.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
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Inside, a long mahogany counter glows beneath warm gold walls, where bartenders move with precision through a selection of classics and inventive cocktails built on bold spirits and house infusions.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Our conjure drives the cinematic imagination of Americans like the hags who ride our backs during our darkest nightmares.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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Rather than hang out with the two old hags, Cherry decides to try her luck on the stand-up paddleboards with Brigitte and Daniel, but quickly loses her balance.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Banshees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banshees. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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