as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
doing one's tax returns is a real bugaboo for a lot of people
Synonyms & Similar 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 bugaboo
Best Supporting Actress One of Hickey’s bugaboos is the way the supporting races have often been gift-wrapped early, with co-leads like Emilia Pérez’s Zoe Saldaña and A Real Pain’s Kieran Culkin sweeping to victory.
—
Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Purdy’s biggest bugaboo could be interceptions.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Now, for one of their chief bugaboos — a primary culprit for the mediocre record through 32 games.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
Stefon Diggs factored heavily into the comeback, specifically by defeating man-to-man coverage, which had been a bugaboo for this receiving corps lately.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Purdy’s biggest bugaboo could be interceptions.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Now, for one of their chief bugaboos — a primary culprit for the mediocre record through 32 games.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
Stefon Diggs factored heavily into the comeback, specifically by defeating man-to-man coverage, which had been a bugaboo for this receiving corps lately.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugaboo
Noun
-
Brith, filled with a sudden dread, stands very still, watching it, and the dog, sensing something, emits a low growl.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Her smile in the fantasy is one of relief and clarity, which cuts so hard after watching the dread pile up before Leslie notices her.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Such moves would severely disrupt Iran’s plan to use their proxy, Yemen’s Houthi terror group, to attack Red Sea shipping.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
-
Names like Sednaya, and those of other sites run by the military and air force intelligence directorates, marked the boundaries of terror within which an entire society was held captive.—
Amer Matar,
The Dial,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
This has been one of its main bugbears for years, with several engine types experimented with.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Timings, though, can often be a bugbear.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The only danger was that theriac was thought to heat the body and thus could supposedly render an individual more susceptible to corruption by the plague.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
Declining enrollment and rising labor costs plague school districts across the Bay Area and California, but Contra Costa County schools’ financial problems long predate its current crises.—
East Bay Times editorial board,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Thursday’s round followed a similar pattern for Lee, who was 2 under after his front nine before two bogeys on the back nine dropped him to even par for the day.—
Matt Wagner,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
Ganne was 4 up over Shoemaker through five holes, and Ortengren was 5 up at the turn over Koo, who had four bogeys on the front nine and falling behind.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboo. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
