as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
Form 1040 has always been his personal black beast, and he puts off dealing with it for as long as he can
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of black beast
Based on a 1967 Chevrolet Impala, the black beast is powered by a powerful Chevy V-8 and features parts sourced from a British Harrier fighter jet.
—
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2022
Malone's black beast in the closet is threatening Alaska now.
—Author: Charles Wohlforth | Opinion, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Mar. 2018
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2022
Malone's black beast in the closet is threatening Alaska now.
—Author: Charles Wohlforth | Opinion, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black beast
Noun
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But some congregants’ anguish over October 7th was compounded by dread about Israel’s brutal, indiscriminate response.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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If anything, all the prognostication about it is being led by dread.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The most violent and thuggish regime on earth would be free to carry out their campaigns of terror, coercion, conquest, and mass murder from behind a nuclear shield.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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By 1944, when much of the city lay in ruins, the terror spread.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Person after person portrayed Democrats as the enemy trying to drive a wedge between conservatives in an election year, where Republicans want to keep control of Congress and win races up and down the ballot.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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Swalwell was among those named by Patel, who has said that his critics are mischaracterizing the appendix by calling it an enemies list.—
Perry Stein The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The team treats patients against a backdrop of all-too-common American societal plagues, from substance use disorder to medical bankruptcies and mass shootings.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Anthrax in early Egypt may have been one of the plagues described in the Bible.—
Hannah Kinzer,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But an industry that went from celebrating a movie about an Iranian ogre kidnapping an American woman to movies about Iranian people themselves held hostage by a tyrannical state showed exactly why cinematic choices matter.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
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Here, a fairy tale-level ogre in Lorincz gets the benefit of the doubt from police because of her whiteness.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Black beast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black%20beast. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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