banshees

noun

plural of banshee
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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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banshees
  1. ghouls
  2. demons
  3. phantoms
  4. vampires
  5. ghosts
  6. wraiths
  7. apparitions
  8. spirits
Noun
  • The film follows a group of adults in an isolated Pennsylvania farmhouse, as hoards of flesh-eating ghouls overrun the country and infiltrate their residence.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Six Flags Great America has transformed once more for its 35th Fright Fest, bringing demons, ghosts, ghouls and other things that go bump in the night to the park.
    — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of ghouls
Noun
  • Kirby Smart is hoping to exorcise some of the Crimson Tide demons that have followed him during his time as the Bulldogs head coach.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Dracula has been defeated for good, but his castle has plunked itself down in Paris and all sorts of demons — not to mention Joan of Arc — are on the loose.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of demons
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 phantoms
Noun
  • Unlike ghosts, vampires have physical form and can interact directly with humans; like ghosts, vampires live forever, allowing for a humorous juxtaposition of characters from many points in time in one unhappy household.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The creators say their gentler take on vampires centers on relationships and family, setting it apart from vampire comedies.
    — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of vampires
Noun
  • Members of her immediate family have multiple wives, and a close friend claims to see ghosts.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Their paranormal intervention involves Dichen Lachman as Lois Anthony, in a role best described as Chris Hansen for ghosts.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of ghosts
Noun
  • There’s not a single shot of a healthy human being in the movie, only wraiths filmed in sickly shades of pink, red and blue.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The earliest depictions of slavery were already crawling with the terrible proceedings the Gothic tends to depict, from bloody whippings to family curses to the wrathful wraiths of the slain enslaved.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of wraiths
Noun
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Today, the massive complex attracts paranormal investigators who report apparitions, voices, and other unexplained phenomena.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Definition of apparitions
Noun
  • The wines and spirits division maintained its momentum with a 6 percent increase in organic sales, while revenues in perfumes and cosmetics were flat in the quarter.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • These competitive spirits must defeat someone else, proving their mastery of the English language in the arena.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of spirits

Browse Nearby Words

banshee
banshees
bantam
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Cite this Entry

“Banshees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banshees. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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