Thesaurus results for BUGABOOS

bugaboos

noun

plural of bugaboo

as in dreads

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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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 bugaboos 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 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 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 Getting the focus right is one of the bugaboos of using a telephoto lens for astrophotography, because the focus on such lenses is touchy and easily gets knocked off kilter. — IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugaboos

Noun

He's described by officials as a Black male in his late teens with a medium-large build and thick dreads.

— Nick Lentz, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Mirror images except for the fact that Jelani has his hair in dreads, while Ari goes with the more retro-look afro.

— Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026

Definition of dreads

Noun

But above all, this page-turner by one of today’s great nonfiction writers is alert to the glories and terrors of daily inner life.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
Filmed in Technicolor, its visual effects were truly groundbreaking, as the movie imagined alien terrors that, before then, had only been possible on the page or on radio.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of terrors

Noun

This has been one of its main bugbears for years, with several engine types experimented with.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
The bugbears of this season — wasting promising chances (though Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce deserves credit for many of those) and some vulnerability to counter-attacks — remained.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Definition of bugbears

Noun

The nets, for the most part, stay out consistently, says Roos, though they are checked regularly, every few days, which prevents not only the algae problem that plagues farmed fish, but also fishermen, as well.

— Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Previously, older strains appeared to lack the genetic traits that enabled them to spread, leading scientists to think that early plagues were unlikely to trigger outbreaks.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 17 June 2026

Definition of plagues

Noun

My own team’s research has shown that mycorrhizal fungi can alter chemicals released by plants in ways that are useful for repelling insects while attracting pollinators and insects’ natural enemies.

— Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
The Founding Fathers attacked their enemies in the papers, spreading lies to incite the public against their opponents.

— Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of enemies

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bugaboo

bugaboos

bugbear

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“Bugaboos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboos. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bugaboos

noun

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