as in fairies
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
elves are often portrayed as rather mischievous
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Recent Examples of elves
The theft follows a similar incident in December, when members of the same group flooded into a Montreal grocery store dressed as Santa Clause and his elves, stealing food and leaving some of it gift-wrapped under a nearby Christmas tree.
—
Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
One of Magnason’s first jobs was at the National Archives of Iceland, where he was surrounded by books about the old Norse gods, colonial histories, and even stories about elves.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
Sets like Hobbiton and Rivendell (a home for some elves) are breathtaking, the makeup and prosthetics of the orcs still terrifying, and the costumes ethereal and otherworldly.
—Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2026
Overworked, overtired, snapping at elves — frankly, ‘twas a disaster.
—Lauren Ashley Bishop, Variety, 4 Jan. 2026
Last December, Yvette Olazar, a 33-year-old mom of three, had a hunch that her daughter Natalie, who was in 6th grade, had stopped believing in magical elves and Christmas miracles.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
What music do Santa’s elves like the best?
—Fiona Tapp, Parents, 23 Dec. 2025
The roots of the mischievous elves are in metro Atlanta.
—Faysal Aalen, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Every night, the elves travel back to the North Pole and then in the morning, upon their return, land in a different spot than the nights before.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
One of Magnason’s first jobs was at the National Archives of Iceland, where he was surrounded by books about the old Norse gods, colonial histories, and even stories about elves.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
Sets like Hobbiton and Rivendell (a home for some elves) are breathtaking, the makeup and prosthetics of the orcs still terrifying, and the costumes ethereal and otherworldly.
—Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2026
Overworked, overtired, snapping at elves — frankly, ‘twas a disaster.
—Lauren Ashley Bishop, Variety, 4 Jan. 2026
Last December, Yvette Olazar, a 33-year-old mom of three, had a hunch that her daughter Natalie, who was in 6th grade, had stopped believing in magical elves and Christmas miracles.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
What music do Santa’s elves like the best?
—Fiona Tapp, Parents, 23 Dec. 2025
The roots of the mischievous elves are in metro Atlanta.
—Faysal Aalen, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Every night, the elves travel back to the North Pole and then in the morning, upon their return, land in a different spot than the nights before.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elves
Noun
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Plans include music, magic shows, face painting, stilt walkers, fairies, robots, a giant LED screen showing the ball drop from Times Square and more.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
29 Dec. 2025
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If your favorite writer wishes they could be whisked away to the land of fairies and Björk and neighborhood hot springs, try cutting a large international corner with this bath product straight from the famous Blue Lagoon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Henson was cast as Hoggle, one of the film’s most prominent goblins and Sarah’s reluctant ally, while also managing puppeteering responsibilities behind the scenes.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The ditch that’s up to 19 feet deep dwarfs the heavy machinery inside of it.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
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Plus Brock and Sindri, the gear upgrade dwarves.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elves. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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