1
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
communism was once the nation's biggest bugbear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
hated all the bugbears of modern life, especially those long commutes to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bugbear
The billionaire’s post on his social network X referred specifically to a Trump executive order ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion mandates — a longtime bugbear of world’s richest person, who runs six companies and has railed against DEI efforts for years.
—
Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 21 Jan. 2025
The new Conservative government, intent on reducing the deficit, cut deep and broad, slashing spending not just on party bugbears like welfare but also on public budgets for investment.
—Josh Holder, New York Times, 3 July 2024
Another bugbear on Teams can come if you’ve been invited to a pre-arranged meeting, or left a meeting partway through, but still receive notifications every time a message is typed into the chat box of the ongoing meeting.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2020
Those claims play into concerns about government overreach, a common right-wing bugbear.
—Ben Guarino, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 21 Jan. 2025
The new Conservative government, intent on reducing the deficit, cut deep and broad, slashing spending not just on party bugbears like welfare but also on public budgets for investment.
—Josh Holder, New York Times, 3 July 2024
Another bugbear on Teams can come if you’ve been invited to a pre-arranged meeting, or left a meeting partway through, but still receive notifications every time a message is typed into the chat box of the ongoing meeting.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2020
Those claims play into concerns about government overreach, a common right-wing bugbear.
—Ben Guarino, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bugbear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbear
Noun
-
For many, as the rain kept falling, there was a sense of dread that the worst was still to come.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Thus, the fear of displacement has not become a distant memory but a continuous dread as the age of gentrification looms over the neighborhood.—
Alyza J Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Aside from her talk about specific songs, Roan also opened up about the creative process, which can sometimes be a massive headache, despite her being known for her catalog of fun and peppy songs.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Making matters worse, China’s been a real headache for Starbucks, even before the tariffs, on increasing local competition and tepid growth in the world’s second-largest economy.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
One of the chief bugaboos for fossil fuel interests is a movement among the states to create Superfund-like programs that would require polluters to pay for damages caused by climate change disasters.—
Michael Hawthorne,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
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The good news: Shelter prices, last year’s bugaboo, appear to be heading down, economists note.—
Andrew Ross Sorkin,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Trees like Texas ebony and mesquite that have thorns to protect them from munching animals and long roots to tap moisture deep within the earth.—
Laura Mallonee,
Wired News,
12 Apr. 2025
-
To shield your hands against thorns when pruning, wear leather or leatherlike gloves.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
At first, the un-washable Fisk murals are a nuisance to the new mayor, but there are ways to take advantage of the situation.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Some of the houses are abandoned and have become unsightly neighborhood nuisances.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The suspect is now facing charges of assault with bodily injury with a previous conviction, injury to the elderly, continuous violence against family, resisting arrest and terror threat of family, McLennan County Jail records seen by PEOPLE show.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The report was commissioned after the deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The president has voiced frustration with the 1973 law and similar environmental protections, saying environmentalists are impeding growth.—
Kristin Brown,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2025
-
There’s a sense of frustration that comes with that, like, How come no one’s listening to the voice of a generation?—
Cat Cardenas,
Vogue,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Sailing teaches us that being an honorable competitor is more important than being a top competitor because while every race is there to lose, luck is the omnipresent hobgoblin.—
Conor Mastromarco,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Nov. 2024
-
Gleeson’s Puck is a malevolent hobgoblin who serves as the royal jester to King Auberon of Faerie.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
2 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Bugbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbear. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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