variants
also bogyman
as in spectre
Related Words
Relevance
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
As producers of The Fugitive and its Big Pharma bogeyman could tell you, a good conspiracy is made even better when it can be aimed at someone or some group already disliked.
—
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2025
Most indulged of all is Joe himself, the kind of bogeyman that our headlines keep in dispiriting circulation: a white, middle-aged male with troubles at home and convenient access to firearms.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 July 2025
Proctor was the case officer who has since been fired primarily for inappropriate behavior in this case and has served as a sort of bogeyman for the defense, beginning with their opening statement.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
Jordan McAlister/Flickr Vision/Moment Editorial The myth of a bogeyman hiding under the bed came true for one Kansas family this week after a child's complaint led to a man's arrest.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bogeyman
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2025
Most indulged of all is Joe himself, the kind of bogeyman that our headlines keep in dispiriting circulation: a white, middle-aged male with troubles at home and convenient access to firearms.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 July 2025
Proctor was the case officer who has since been fired primarily for inappropriate behavior in this case and has served as a sort of bogeyman for the defense, beginning with their opening statement.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
Jordan McAlister/Flickr Vision/Moment Editorial The myth of a bogeyman hiding under the bed came true for one Kansas family this week after a child's complaint led to a man's arrest.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bogeyman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bogeyman
Noun
-
The specter of war is difficult to reconcile with the carefree bustle of downtown Taipei, where on a cool June evening bickering families and doe-eyed couples throng the city’s night markets as ever before.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Thereafter, the Karem Abu Salem crossing—the only commercial crossing through which goods and aid are allowed to enter the Strip—was forcibly closed, rendering the citizens of the Gaza Strip generally, and the north of Gaza specifically, to confront the specter of hunger once again.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, the film follows a K-pop supergroup who must balance their lives as world-famous pop stars with their secret side hustle as demon slayers.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Never mind The Bear — meet the Boss, fighting the same demons and nagging feelings of self-doubt that would cause Carmy Berzatto to stoically nod in recognition.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
-
But this Halloween, chasing away the ghouls haunting Tesla looks like a miracle too far.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Haunted Trail takes visitors outdoors through a path with dense fog and several haunting installations with zombies, a ghoul bus, a graveyard filled with ghosts, chainsaw maniacs and more.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In this 2000 film starring Taylor Handley and Mickey Rooney, 17-year-old Pete Riley (Handley) works at the local movie theater, which is rumored to be haunted by a phantom.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Veneziale’s dad is often responsible for picking up items further afield, such as an animated phantom that had been listed on Facebook Marketplace.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Frehley picks up on the drummer’s simmering syncopation hereand unleashes a banshee-like howl of a solo that still clings to the band’s rhythm.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
His bronc riders look more like pietàs in mud; his barrel racers scream like banshees on horseback.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
It’s believed that the 13th-century castle is haunted by a magical imp who frequently visits the Markomanka and Hlíza, or black, towers.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Tim Burton's film explores the border between life and the afterlife with some of the best in the biz, from Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin’s wholesome (and dead) homeowners to Winona Ryder's angsty teen to her ridiculous mother (Catherine O'Hara) to the imp with a limp (Michael Keaton).—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That mixture of terror and safety is the secret sauce for Mike Jubie, creator of the Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses in New York’s historic Hudson Valley.—
Isabel Rosales,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
-
On the other, a vision of what life would be like without the terror group.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bogeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bogeyman. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share