as in fairies
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
elves are often portrayed as rather mischievous
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of elves
There’s also caviar and cookies and Christmas trees and Housewives and Bravolebrities, all surrounded by twink elves in Christmas G-strings.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 May 2026
The company behind that trio of elves, some of the most iconic mascots in pop culture, is the same corporation that put breakfast on the table in the first place.
—Heather Bushman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
The puckish figure draws heavily on Nordic fairy tales, including stories of elves.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026
Not as great of a kids’ parade as the one at Christmas with elves and Santa Claus and toys and snowmen.
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
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
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 May 2026
The company behind that trio of elves, some of the most iconic mascots in pop culture, is the same corporation that put breakfast on the table in the first place.
—Heather Bushman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
The puckish figure draws heavily on Nordic fairy tales, including stories of elves.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026
Not as great of a kids’ parade as the one at Christmas with elves and Santa Claus and toys and snowmen.
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elves
Noun
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The original is set in an Australian rainforest populated by fairies, one of whom accidentally shrinks a logger to fairy size.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2026
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Woodland fairies carrying giant daffodils or wearing hats covered in mushrooms.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In recent weeks, social media users, especially on X, have been noticing increasing references to goblins, along with other fantasy creatures such as gremlins, ogres and trolls in ChatGPT’s answers to user queries.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
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Anecdotal evidence on social media shows some users complaining about GPT’s penchant for focusing on goblins in completely unrelated conversations in recent days.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Big money, uneven returns Steyer’s spending dwarfs every other candidate.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Look for taller varieties and avoid dwarfs.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elves. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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