as in horrors
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
that 20-page exam was a nightmare
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nightmares
Shortly after, the book began to take shape, with new elements often arriving in vivid daydreams and eerie nightmares.
—
Charlie Vargas, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Dreams of an efficient return to Denver became nightmares.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2026
The scenes are the stuff of nightmares, and even villainy.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The strength that the NFL is enjoying this year is in sharp contrast to the string of PR nightmares that the league faced not so long ago.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
His nightmares began almost immediately.
—Nichole Manna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
Rather, thousands of small pieces of junk that are still big enough to disrupt a satellite’s operations are what satellite operators have nightmares about these days.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
From Rome, Zimmerman traveled Europe and North Africa, suffering nightmares of waking up on a street in San Francisco.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026
Walking nightmares aren't so bad when they're safely relegated to your screen.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
Charlie Vargas, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Dreams of an efficient return to Denver became nightmares.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2026
The scenes are the stuff of nightmares, and even villainy.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The strength that the NFL is enjoying this year is in sharp contrast to the string of PR nightmares that the league faced not so long ago.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
His nightmares began almost immediately.
—Nichole Manna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
Rather, thousands of small pieces of junk that are still big enough to disrupt a satellite’s operations are what satellite operators have nightmares about these days.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
From Rome, Zimmerman traveled Europe and North Africa, suffering nightmares of waking up on a street in San Francisco.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026
Walking nightmares aren't so bad when they're safely relegated to your screen.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmares
Noun
-
Our phones bring us delights and numbing distractions, but also fresh horrors every day.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But some of the daily horrors are different.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Her film is an honorable attempt to dramatize the everyday agonies and frustrations of Red Crescent workers, to honor their quick thinking and astonishing courage under duress.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The victims of prejudice and inequality are always the best guardians of the ramparts that sustain those miseries.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
23 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The author delves into the torments PTSD causes Vietnam veterans as well as family dynamics.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
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Hell is nevertheless filled with bloody and horrific torments.—
Claudia Roth Pierpont,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmares. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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