as in terrors
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
speaking in public is a perennial dread for many people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of dreads
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
But the have-funs and the have-existential-dreads of the hockey community are every bit as clear.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
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
But the have-funs and the have-existential-dreads of the hockey community are every bit as clear.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
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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Film will ultimately survive as a medium even in the face of overwhelming terrors.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
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What could be worse than these twin terrors?—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … CAPITOL CHAOS — House GOP fears primary losers could jeopardize razor-thin majority.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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The group also fears that losing Starlink access could endanger pilots, since the satellite internet service can be used for emergency communications and to receive important weather alerts.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Scheffler was thoroughly amused and looked to be in good spirits heading into Sunday.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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The displays are meant to echo the rugged mountain paths of Ethiopia, Mexico, and Perú, places where children rise before dawn, walk miles to do their chores, and return home with soles bruised and spirits tested.—
Abraham Nudelstejer,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At least 25 are killed as flash flooding plagues Nairobi.—
Evelyne Musambi,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Lack of evidence plagues investigation Investigators have combed Guthrie's home and the surrounding areas, but little physical evidence has been recovered.—
Helen Rummel,
AZCentral.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pay multiple people from the crafts site Etsy to perform tarot readings, lift any existing curses and otherwise engage in witchcraft.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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Indeed, various curses and slurs could be heard shouted from the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall, even during some segments broadcast to audiences in England and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In that final part of the cycle—the writing part—were torments, perhaps even tortures, but good things happened.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Dreads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreads. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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