1
as in dwarves
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a hobgoblin who plays pranks such as spoiling milk and tripping old ladies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in dreads
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
the fear of success and the pressures that come with it can be more of a hobgoblin than the possibility of failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblins
Noun
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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
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Later, in adulthood, Alice makes miniatures for a living, inspired by artist Joseph Cornell’s boxes and the tiny fairies her mother owned, nestled in the head of a pin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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Where are True Blood's vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, and fairies today?—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The internet gives us more opportunity to be exposed to noteworthy terrors from other countries.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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It's been a consistently reliable genre in the decades since, pairing mental anguish and unreliable perspectives with nightmarish imagery and terrors that lie just beyond our perceptions.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Visitors won’t experience any flashing lights, dancing elves or blaring carols.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Oct. 2025
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The hanging fireplace, seemingly lit by house elves, pairs nicely with the gratis bottles of spirits and Chilean wine.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Shrek and Fiona are now both full-time ogres, but Fiona’s parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) aren’t too thrilled, as a particularly tense family dinner scene makes clear.—
Skyler Trepel September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ghosts and goblins, along with Pikachu and princesses, filled the grounds of Heritage Hill Historical Park over the weekend.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
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Jack-o-lanterns, ghouls and goblins are around every corner, but the scariest creatures of all might be thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For bones, spirits, and some menacing dolls, here’s where to go for a fright.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
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Budj Bim assigned the weeping she-oak (Casuarina) trees, whose whispering voices can be heard in the wind, to be the guardian spirits of the landscape.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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James went down a lengthy list of bugaboos that hurt the Chargers, including but not limited to 14 penalties totaling 107 yards, the Giants’ 7-for-15 efficiency on third downs, a lackluster start that featured deficits of 10-0 and 13-3 in the first half and a failure to force a New York turnover.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
28 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblins. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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