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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bugaboo
Forget the bugaboo of EV battery range.
—
Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Sitting sedately behind his host’s desk instead of standing up and jigging, Colbert informed the viewers about his guest, Senator Adam Schiff—another bugaboo to Trump—then quickly transitioned to telling the bad news.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
And this has long been a bugaboo of the secretary and his group, the Children's Health Defense Fund.
—CBS News, 29 June 2025
Considering the convergence of current cultural bugaboos on deck here—race, class, cancel culture, immigration—The Uproar mostly wears its topicality lightly, preferring the granular pull of human drama to editorial hectoring or lectures.
—Book Marks
june 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Sitting sedately behind his host’s desk instead of standing up and jigging, Colbert informed the viewers about his guest, Senator Adam Schiff—another bugaboo to Trump—then quickly transitioned to telling the bad news.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
And this has long been a bugaboo of the secretary and his group, the Children's Health Defense Fund.
—CBS News, 29 June 2025
Considering the convergence of current cultural bugaboos on deck here—race, class, cancel culture, immigration—The Uproar mostly wears its topicality lightly, preferring the granular pull of human drama to editorial hectoring or lectures.
—Book Marks
june 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugaboo
Noun
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Foreboding and dread is consuming celebrities scheduled to dance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Nov. 2025
-
As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The other lives in New Jersey and is accused of talking about a potential terror attack in Boston during a livestream.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Esmé, along with many patrons and staff, experienced the terror and chaos of the event firsthand.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Inflation will be a major bugbear for Takaichi to tackle, experts previously told CNBC.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Anyway, as this supporter told Sky Sports, one of their bugbears is that Chelsea Dagger doesn’t actually have anything to do with Chelsea Football Club.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Crucially, the eggs were fittingly fluffy, none of that rubbery nonsense that plague lesser burrito slingers.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
6 Nov. 2025
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Now the government is out to quash this plague of poor decision making.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Connell hit one birdie, five bogeys and 11 pars in addition to the eagle to reach his score.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
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The string ended with a bogey at the par-5 1oth.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboo. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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