bogeyman

noun

variants also bogyman
Definition of bogeymannext
as in specter

Related Words

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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 bogeyman At a time when billionaires are bogeymen, Steyer has struggled to gain momentum. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 28 Apr. 2026 No matter how much so many us love and believe in edgy comedy, a line exists between cutting satire and normalizing violence, and stay wary of anyone who tries to use the bogeyman of repression to erase it. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 And the foreign bogeyman was no longer the driver. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026 Some 15 to 20 years ago, MSG was nothing less than a nutritional bogeyman. — Caroline Tien, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bogeyman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bogeyman
  1. specter
  2. demon
  3. incubus
  4. ghoul
  5. phantom
  6. banshee
  7. terror
  8. imp
Noun
  • Rates had dipped below 6% in late February, but the onset of the Iran War and the accompanying specter of inflation pushed them higher.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The specter of the takeover wasn't apparent on Wednesday morning; the convocation itself was a large-scale pep rally, featuring live music, games, cheering, and dancing, all to boost morale and propel teachers forward.
    — Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of specter
Noun
  • Later in the episode, Big Bang‘s Wil Wheaton shows up to reveal to Stuart that Bernadette is in fact a demon and is killed by Bert (Posehn) in a magic power duel.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Slater’s script follows an exorcist names Jefferson Haddock (Bacon), who is called into an isolated witness protection property to deal with a terrifying demon, accidentally unleashing a force that threatens to end him and everything around him.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • The Devil’s Museum, a satellite of the main collection, has amassed more than 3,000 depictions of demons, evil spirits and incubus from around the world.
    — Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Your fame sits beside you like an incubus, and people are embarrassed and want to leave the room.
    — Candace Bushnell, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2025
Definition of incubus
Noun
  • Algol relates to the Arabic al-ghül, which signifies demon or ghoul.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Night of the Living Dead centers all the action at a farmhouse, where seven people attempt to ward off the ghouls — without any prior knowledge of how to do so.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Definition of ghoul
Noun
  • On the 1994 comeback album Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins, Sparks imagined Liberace, who died in 1987, making his own comeback in the afterlife, adored again as a phantom haunting the Earth.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 31 July 2026
  • Left behind are her great-grandmother’s haunting journals detailing the story of her own phantom, and subsequently, her brutal murder.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of phantom
Noun
  • Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.
    — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
  • Weaving, even more than before, makes Grace an ingénue gone banshee.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of banshee
Noun
  • The official did not provide further details on the alleged association with terror organizations.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • An experience that demands the big screen, featuring even more astounding effects choreography than its predecessor, Godzilla Minus Zero cranks up the terror while always keeping its post-WWII Japan narrative at human eye level.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of terror
Noun
  • At her very best, Emily behaves like a petulant pre-adolescent spoiled imp.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
    — Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of imp

Browse Nearby Words

bogey
bogeyman
bogeymen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bogeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bogeyman. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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