as in terrors
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
speaking in public is a perennial dread for many people
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Recent Examples of dreads
Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Also, there is this human white boy with dreads, Spider, a Tarzan type who hangs around the Sullys with the help of an oxygen mask.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Other introspective angles are explored during Mariano’s audiences with his friend the Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), a serene Black man with a head crowned by a bundle of silver dreads, who tools around the Vatican on a motorbike.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
The courtroom doors cracked open, and a Black woman with long dreads walked in.
—Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Also, there is this human white boy with dreads, Spider, a Tarzan type who hangs around the Sullys with the help of an oxygen mask.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Other introspective angles are explored during Mariano’s audiences with his friend the Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), a serene Black man with a head crowned by a bundle of silver dreads, who tools around the Vatican on a motorbike.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreads
Noun
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Almost every one of Arsenal’s title-winning seasons in living memory has had a moment where the terrors set in.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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The lustrous surfaces hide moral horrors, silence emotional terrors, and block out the filth beyond their boundaries.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gold prices are impacted by a range of factors, and can rise on inflation fears one month, fall on strong economic data the next and then surge again based on geopolitical headlines.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Rising Russia fears NATO’s European members are increasing their state of readiness amid concerns that Russia – whose economy has been placed on a wartime footing by its invasion of Ukraine – could attempt to extend its military reach into European Union territory.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Dining The Pennsylvanian features a Corridor Cafe, where travelers can grab breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with snacks and a selection of beverages, including wine, beer, spirits, and nonalcoholic drinks.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
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The floating objects, trance communications, phantom touches, miraculous healings, and poltergeist writings that followed in the five decades after Mona’s death were attributed to her and a pantheon of other notable spirits, including Black Elk.—
Shannon Taggart,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the add-on to lock devices separated from their owner’s watch is a major plus point, especially as the smartphone theft pandemic plagues users worldwide.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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Rubbermaid EasyFindLids Food Storage Containers Finding the right lid to fit your food storage container plagues just about all of us, but this set solves that problem.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
30 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Gamers will know Brok as the beloved weapons dealer with an unrivaled artistry for creative, foul-mouthed curses.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
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In Jujutsu Kaisen, heroic jujutsu sorcerers wage war against demonic creatures called curses and the curse users, who wield jujutsu powers for evil.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As a poet, publisher, and public intellectual, Ferlinghetti spent the rest of his career resisting the very torments Judge Horn said haunted the post-war world.—
Gioia Woods,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
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Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreads. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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