1
as in dreads
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
communism was once the nation's biggest bugbear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in headaches
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 bugbears
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
Duffy’s bugbears include the aforementioned fisticuffs, a lack of pleases and thank yous for staff, and the reluctance of current passengers to help the aged, the infirm, and the pregnant.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Duffy’s bugbears include the aforementioned fisticuffs, a lack of pleases and thank yous for staff, and the reluctance of current passengers to help the aged, the infirm, and the pregnant.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbears
Noun
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The conductor described the offender as a Black male with a tan jacket, blue jeans, and short dreads.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 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
Noun
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The event’s ticket policies are also a common point of discussion, one that causes frequent headaches and confusion for organizers and fans alike.—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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The war also caused gasoline and diesel prices to surge, causing further headaches for farmers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And there will surely be a cascade of tears and terrors in-between.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
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Still, Levack’s film offers terrors and troubles of a different stripe.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Teenagers scaled Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge and blasted revolutionary anthems by artists whose songs captured young people’s frustrations with the regime.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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Brown voiced his frustrations with the Eagles’ passing offense during the regular season, then engaged in a screaming match with Sirianni during Philadelphia’s first-round playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The end of the hibernation period in spring brings new bat movement, which means more nuisances for homes with roosts.—
Caden Perry,
jsonline.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Florida law shields shooting ranges, specifically, from being sued as nuisances.—
Christopher Spata,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Shrek and Fiona are now both full-time ogres, but Fiona’s parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) aren’t too thrilled, as a particularly tense family dinner scene makes clear.—
Skyler Trepel September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Also known as seaberry, Fried says this plant is notable for its resistance to deer because of its sharp thorns and tree-like height.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
14 Apr. 2026
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Use clean pruners to trim away shoots, thorns, or roots along the soil and to help maintain the tree’s size.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugbears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbears. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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