1
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
communism was once the nation's biggest bugbear
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
hated all the bugbears of modern life, especially those long commutes to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bugbear
This was a bugbear most prominently highlighted in the case of the U.S. naval surveillance activities in Chinese EEZ in particular.
—
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Defense spending has been a thorny subject for NATO members for years, and a persistent bugbear for Trump.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Under his leadership, Michigan had a robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program — a bugbear for Republicans — until announcing in March that it would be dismantled.
—Philissa Cramer, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Kuo also said the iPhone Fold, as it likely won’t be called, will address the biggest bugbear for folders: a too-visible crease in the internal display when it’s opened.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Defense spending has been a thorny subject for NATO members for years, and a persistent bugbear for Trump.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Under his leadership, Michigan had a robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program — a bugbear for Republicans — until announcing in March that it would be dismantled.
—Philissa Cramer, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Kuo also said the iPhone Fold, as it likely won’t be called, will address the biggest bugbear for folders: a too-visible crease in the internal display when it’s opened.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbear
Noun
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Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The idea of having to double-cleanse fills me with dread.—
Mattie Kahn,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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But just one week later, on June 1, 2019, a splitting headache and blurred vision sent her racing back to the hospital.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Jackson tore his Achilles tendon last November, so that’s the big bugaboo.—
Stan Son,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 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
Noun
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Often a thorn in the side of leadership, Massie is unlikely to strike any deal with leadership to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Buds will fail to open properly, and some of the canes will have multitudes of thorns.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But Bickel and his team uncovered treasure within what might normally be thought of as a nuisance.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
-
For the cover of the October 13, 2025, issue, the artist Brian Stauffer chose to see the beauty in what many consider a noisy nuisance.—
Françoise Mouly,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the Netflix adaptation, Pippa helps describe the fight against the Twits’ reign of mischief and terror, serving as a moral compass amid the chaos.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Mathis has been a terror for opposing quarterbacks alongside teammate and fellow true freshman Sidney Stewart.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That doesn’t mean Ohtani’s frustrations aren’t bleeding through.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Bergeron said producers broke an agreement to avoid partisan bookings, prompting him to publicly voice his frustration.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But there’s one old-school hobgoblin that’s lurking around the edges of this narrative, omnipresent, repeated across a number of notable new titles, but still somehow avoiding the limelight: the witch.—
Payton McCarty-Simas,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Aug. 2025
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Sailing teaches us that being an honorable competitor is more important than being a top competitor because while every race is there to lose, luck is the omnipresent hobgoblin.—
Conor Mastromarco,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Bugbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbear. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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