variants
also bogyman
as in specter
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Recent Examples of bogeyman
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
For all of his brutality and bogeyman power, viewers didn’t think of him as a villain.
—Brian Raftery, Longreads, 29 Jan. 2026
His other go-to bogeyman, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now firmly in his lame-duck era as his term ends this spring.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bogeyman
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
For all of his brutality and bogeyman power, viewers didn’t think of him as a villain.
—Brian Raftery, Longreads, 29 Jan. 2026
His other go-to bogeyman, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now firmly in his lame-duck era as his term ends this spring.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bogeyman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bogeyman
Noun
-
New York — Kevin Warsh’s dream of becoming Federal Reserve chairman was nearly tarnished by the specter of having to confront simultaneous and conflicting challenges brewing in the US economy.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
-
The movies deal with the specter of obsolescence — but also its happy twin, rebirth.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The demon was largely limited to one expression — smugness — and was inexplicably the only character who spoke Japanese.—
Corbin Bolies,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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But doing so may reveal that the worst demons of all live inside him.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
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
-
This meaning is visualized in Henry Fuseli’s 1781 painting The Nightmare, which shows a woman sleeping peacefully on a couch while a nauseating monster—an incubus—sits portentously on her abdomen, unbeknownst to her.—
Time,
Time,
28 Dec. 2022
Noun
-
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
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Created by a number of its stars, Ghosts originated on the BBC in 2019, following a group of ghouls from different historical periods haunting a country house while sharing the house with its new living occupants.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Gives himself entirely to the race, shoots like a phantom up through the opening and then stands panting in the garret, completely motionless, while his eyes become accustomed to the change of light.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
There has been a phantom haunting this Matlock season.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The bond between a rider and their banshee doesn't break, and chances are your bond with this two-figure set won't either.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Then, like an alarm clock, howler monkeys unleashed their banshee shriek, staking their territory as the sun rose.—
Ryan Knighton,
AFAR Media,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The idea of bringing Pip to the local dog park flooded me with terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Witnesses describe shock and fear at seeing a symbol long tied to Ku Klux Klan terror, as activists blame today’s political climate and note Obama’s nearby presidential center opens on Juneteenth.—
Hallie Golden,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
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At her very best, Emily behaves like a petulant pre-adolescent spoiled imp.—
Liza Lentini,
SPIN,
14 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Bogeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bogeyman. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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