as in horrors
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
that 20-page exam was a nightmare
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Recent Examples of nightmares
Saleh definitely enjoys the weekly meetings and sausage-making process, despite admittedly having nightmares every Monday night about the next opponent.
—
Vic Tafur, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
When border crossings were higher, there could be logistical nightmares for his company, Martinez said.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
The latter may scoff at the idea of a nostalgic horror movie, but anyone who's had the urge to peek through their fingers as nightmares unfold in front of them knows that fear can be both cathartic and illuminating.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The combination of DePrimeo and Rotondi simply overpowered Masco (3-1), and that duo is bound to cause nightmares for opposing lines all season.
—Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Having your mouth taped shut is the stuff of nightmares — but some people are doing just that to themselves.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Her funhouse pulses with neon nightmares.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Service dogs can help people with PTSD by waking them during nightmares.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
The Grimoire unleashes a series of nightmares that feel like flashbacks that a group of teen campers could never have.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Vic Tafur, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
When border crossings were higher, there could be logistical nightmares for his company, Martinez said.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
The latter may scoff at the idea of a nostalgic horror movie, but anyone who's had the urge to peek through their fingers as nightmares unfold in front of them knows that fear can be both cathartic and illuminating.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The combination of DePrimeo and Rotondi simply overpowered Masco (3-1), and that duo is bound to cause nightmares for opposing lines all season.
—Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Having your mouth taped shut is the stuff of nightmares — but some people are doing just that to themselves.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Her funhouse pulses with neon nightmares.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Service dogs can help people with PTSD by waking them during nightmares.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
The Grimoire unleashes a series of nightmares that feel like flashbacks that a group of teen campers could never have.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmares
Noun
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President Biden singularly stands out in his callous enabling of the horrors inflicted on Gaza for more than a year.—
Shibley Telhami,
Time,
13 Oct. 2025
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The film, set in a southeast Ukrainian town occupied by Russia, will explore the search for human dignity amidst the daily horrors of war.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Falling support in Gaza Palestinian public pressure on Hamas has risen as the miseries of war have mounted.—
Mkhaimar Abusada,
The Conversation,
5 Oct. 2025
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But current virus variants continue to spread burning throats, fevers and other miseries.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmares. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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