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
The spooky environs created by production designer Til Frohlich are the stuff nightmares are made of; the murky bathtub, moldering linens and secret compartments that go bump in the night.
—
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
When the show picks up, Lorcan is experiencing a strange series of nightmares centered around a terrifying rabbit-faced man, a creature pulled from Celtic mythology known as a Pooka.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
The spooky environs created by production designer Til Frohlich are the stuff nightmares are made of; the murky bathtub, moldering linens and secret compartments that go bump in the night.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
There are nightmares about a childhood tragedy.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Anything short of a finals appearance is a flop for the Knicks, who may be seeing CJ McCollum in their nightmares.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The suit also said the attack traumatized other children who witnessed it, which continued to give them nightmares.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Strand also said Athena’s sister has required therapy and recently returned after experiencing nightmares about what happened, according to his testimony.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
When the show picks up, Lorcan is experiencing a strange series of nightmares centered around a terrifying rabbit-faced man, a creature pulled from Celtic mythology known as a Pooka.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
The spooky environs created by production designer Til Frohlich are the stuff nightmares are made of; the murky bathtub, moldering linens and secret compartments that go bump in the night.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
There are nightmares about a childhood tragedy.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Anything short of a finals appearance is a flop for the Knicks, who may be seeing CJ McCollum in their nightmares.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The suit also said the attack traumatized other children who witnessed it, which continued to give them nightmares.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Strand also said Athena’s sister has required therapy and recently returned after experiencing nightmares about what happened, according to his testimony.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmares
Noun
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And the horrors, Coles said, didn’t go away even when his stepfather did.—
Alex Zietlow,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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And the horrors, Coles said, didn’t go away even when his stepfather did.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
Noun
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And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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In that final part of the cycle—the writing part—were torments, perhaps even tortures, but good things happened.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Inarguably one of the best teams in the country annually, the Boilermakers had a string of March miseries.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
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And allergy miseries don’t end after the spring.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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So too did Trump spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, who compared the president’s torments to those of Jesus.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmares. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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