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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Recent Examples of gremlin
Almost like a gremlin, the same creature that appears small and tiny then molts its skin and then becomes huge.
—
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
The notion of gremlins was first conceived during the 1920s when mechanical failures in Royal Air Force aircraft were jokingly blamed on the small monsters.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Ashley Darby, after seven winters, six summers, and two presidential administrations, has finally gotten divorced from the corporeal gremlin known as Michael Darby.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Other old-car issues, such as gremlins impacting the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and exhaust systems, are ongoing considerations.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
The notion of gremlins was first conceived during the 1920s when mechanical failures in Royal Air Force aircraft were jokingly blamed on the small monsters.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Ashley Darby, after seven winters, six summers, and two presidential administrations, has finally gotten divorced from the corporeal gremlin known as Michael Darby.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Other old-car issues, such as gremlins impacting the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and exhaust systems, are ongoing considerations.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gremlin
Noun
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Kenya wears a purple fairy outfit, but the dress is too basic and too matte, and the wings aren’t big enough for real drama.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
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According to Deadline, Disney+ is officially developing a live-action series starring Tinker Bell, Neverland’s favorite fairy.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Meet the goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni), a predator so rare that fewer than 250 individuals have ever been recorded worldwide.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The plot follows a young girl who ends up wishing away her baby brother into the goblin labyrinth.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Beyond rock and ice The finding of L 98-59 d challenges the long-standing astronomical belief that small exoplanets must be either gas dwarfs or water worlds covered in ice and oceans.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
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In a gas-dwarf scenario, planets are believed to form rock cores that accrete a small percentage of hydrogen-helium during the formation process.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gremlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gremlin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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