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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Its lead character is Harry Dresden, a professional wizard operating out of the city of Chicago in a world where ghouls, ghosts, werewolves and vampires exist in the shadows of modern society.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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No disrespect to Purnell, who perfectly calibrated Lucy’s intrinsic hopefulness in the first season and slowly begins to curdle it this go-round as Lucy spends more time among ghouls, raiders, cannibals, and various other feuding factions.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Directed by Joel Thompson, the centuries-old tale of demons, magic spells and a deal with the devil is brought to life with special effects and theatrical stage haze.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
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Liberato was forced to stop and wrestle with inner demons that even a dose of magic mushrooms couldn’t tamp down.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
22 Jan. 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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Understanding neutrinos’ properties could help explain how how the universe formed, how stars evolve and whether neutrinos, which pass through the Earth and even our bodies like phantoms, are their own antiparticles.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Early slayers often originate between realms—people who have been near death and pulled back, or have the markings of potential vampires, or who are born at times of the year when the veil between worlds is thin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Some vampires want a piece of the action.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Back at the castle, where the only thing haunting them is the ghosts of slain reality stars, everybody huddles to try to figure out whether to go for Ron or Colton.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
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Then, oh my God, there are ghosts!—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Sam slips back into her addiction and as her alcoholism worsens, so do the visions and apparitions that seem to be haunting the forest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite its name, the bar operates as a globally minded cocktail destination with equal attention paid to other spirits, along with small bites and an impressive cigar selection.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
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And for Dirty Shirleys, different spirits, including vodka, gin, tequila and vermouth can be substituted.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 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 29 Jan. 2026.
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