bugaboo
noun
bug·a·boo
ˈbə-gə-ˌbü 
plural bugaboos
1
: an imaginary object of fear
2
: bugbear sense 2
also
: something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance
Examples of bugaboo in a Sentence
politicians complaining about that old bugaboo, high oil prices
doing one's tax returns is a real bugaboo for a lot of people
Recent Examples on the Web
Two of the three losses came by submission, which has been her bugaboo throughout her professional career.
—
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Layups and free throws were Golden State’s biggest bugaboos during its 7-17 spell.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
Howells secures the double for the weekend with this win, and needs to get over his singles bugaboo to push for a triple crown.
—Todd Boss, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Without Anthony Davis, the Warriors’ biggest (literally) bugaboo wouldn’t be a factor.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
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Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Layups and free throws were Golden State’s biggest bugaboos during its 7-17 spell.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
Howells secures the double for the weekend with this win, and needs to get over his singles bugaboo to push for a triple crown.
—Todd Boss, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Without Anthony Davis, the Warriors’ biggest (literally) bugaboo wouldn’t be a factor.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bugaboo. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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