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
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Example Sentences
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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
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After three seasons of almost nothing but dread and sorrow, the NBA’s most woebegone franchise, for generations, finally had a moment to celebrate.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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After his teenage son goes missing, Daniel combs the depths of the Vistula River day and night, caught in a grueling, endless routine and torn between the dread of a fatal leap and the fragile hope that his son may still be alive.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, a receptionist at a hotel adjacent to the school, described scenes of terror, as some students tried to jump over a wall separating the school from the hotel.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
Kellison plays Bennett, a high-energy terror.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
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This has been one of its main bugbears for years, with several engine types experimented with.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
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Timings, though, can often be a bugbear.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Overall, the chemistry eliminates the thermal runaway risks, dendrite formation, and complex cooling requirements that plague lithium-ion systems.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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This includes murine typhus, cat scratch disease, and plague.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ko got her mistake out of the way quickly, a bogey on the 11th hole that a pin tucked just over a false front on the right side.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 May 2026
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McIlroy did see his weekend lead of six shots vanish, but managed to be the best player on the property during the final round and secure a one-shot victory with a bogey on the final hole.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboo. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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