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
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Recent Examples of bugaboo
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
Getting stops should be Denver’s biggest bugaboo without Gordon and Braun.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
James went down a lengthy list of bugaboos that hurt the Chargers, including but not limited to 14 penalties totaling 107 yards, the Giants’ 7-for-15 efficiency on third downs, a lackluster start that featured deficits of 10-0 and 13-3 in the first half and a failure to force a New York turnover.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
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
Getting stops should be Denver’s biggest bugaboo without Gordon and Braun.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
James went down a lengthy list of bugaboos that hurt the Chargers, including but not limited to 14 penalties totaling 107 yards, the Giants’ 7-for-15 efficiency on third downs, a lackluster start that featured deficits of 10-0 and 13-3 in the first half and a failure to force a New York turnover.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugaboo
Noun
-
But some congregants’ anguish over October 7th was compounded by dread about Israel’s brutal, indiscriminate response.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
If anything, all the prognostication about it is being led by dread.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Police have not declared the incident to be a terror attack, but are investigating a claim of responsibility by a group with potential links to Iran.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Police have not declared the incident to be a terror attack, but are investigating a claim of responsibility by a group with potential links to Iran.—
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Timings, though, can often be a bugbear.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The turbulence created in a car’s wake is the eternal bugbear of F1 fans and rulemakers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The team treats patients against a backdrop of all-too-common American societal plagues, from substance use disorder to medical bankruptcies and mass shootings.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Anthrax in early Egypt may have been one of the plagues described in the Bible.—
Hannah Kinzer,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kim gave back the stroke with a bogey on the par-4 16th, then hit a flop from deep rough to 2 1/2 feet to save par after hitting long on the par-3 17th.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Ghim shot 67, making an eagle on the par-5 11th, then giving back the strokes with bogeys on 15 and 16.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboo. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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