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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Jack-o-lanterns, ghouls and goblins are around every corner, but the scariest creatures of all might be thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
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Forget goblins and ghouls—being secretly watched and filmed by a stranger is one of my worst fears, especially as a solo female traveler.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Parker’s series starts out with too much bellowing and yelling along with hazing and bullying but loosens up and broadens out to peer into the lives of other recruits who are wrestling with demons and sometimes each other.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
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When their biggest demonic enemy (Lee Byung-hun) encourages the formation of an equally popular K-pop boy band aimed at stealing the souls of their fans, the trio has to fight harder than ever to hold the demons at bay while keeping their friendship intact.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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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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In Anne Rice lore, Akasha is known as the progenitor of all vampires.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
10 Oct. 2025
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Probably Solomon Kane was the biggest [influence] besides Conan, this kind of mashup of puritan warrior priest and vampires and monsters and the undead and all these things.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Yes, Sparks believes in ghosts.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
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Despite a few ghosts, Billy's has remained a popular spot, with pizzas and burgers being the go-to items on the menu.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In Good Boy, Indy investigates strange noises and ghostly apparitions in the remote country house.—
Laura Martin,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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In winter, breath crystallizes in the air, and the animals resemble pale apparitions in an otherworldly landscape of snow and ice.—
Susan Portnoy,
AFAR Media,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
Noun
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Walking tour explores the controversies, feuds and spirits that still haunt the grounds of this river city.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
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The Nolet family has been perfecting the art of spirits since 1691, when the first copper still fired up in Schiedam, Holland.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Banshees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banshees. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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