as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers during the World Wars, fighter pilots adopted the fanciful notion that gremlins were responsible for mechanical failures on their planes

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gremlin Senior vehicle operations manager Cliff Lanham with NASA ground systems said the teams have addressed all the gremlins that popped up in the months before the launch of Artemis I, including leaks in the propellant lines that flowed into the rocket. Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025 No longer were gremlins only representative of niche superstitions held by nervous military airmen. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024 Some gremlins can be unraveled with linear problem-solving, a prowess possessed by AI. Chip Bell, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 Ghosts in the Machine Ellen Walker October 23, 2024 Forty years ago, Hollywood made gremlins loveable—portraying them as adorable, furry creatures. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gremlin
Noun
  • Meanwhile, as friendships across the kingdoms are strained by the ripple effects of the Dark Lord’s actions, the forces of good — elves, dwarves, men, Harfoots and a wizard named Gandalf (Weyman) — try to valiantly hold on to what matters to them most of all: each other.
    Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 8 May 2025
  • Photograph: Ying Tang/Getty Images While children are told stories about elves and reindeer, the truth is that hundreds of thousands of people work year-round to make sure Christmas feels magical.
    Zeyi Yang, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • From its protrusible jaw to its ability to hunt in every environment, the goblin shark exemplifies adaptation to the extremes.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Thousands of visitors showed up dressed as their favorite characters from all parts of pop culture — superheroes and supervillains, wizards, elves, goblins, animals, Ghostbusters, Jedi and Sith, who all are calling Kansas City home base from Friday, March 21, to Sunday, March 23.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Tell me a little bit about the technical side of filming a dwarf and an elf together.
    Devan Coggan, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2022
  • Other new characters include Disa, the first female dwarf ever shown in the Lord of the Rings series.
    Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Gremlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gremlin. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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