1
as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a hobgoblin who plays pranks such as spoiling milk and tripping old ladies
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2
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
the fear of success and the pressures that come with it can be more of a hobgoblin than the possibility of failure
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hobgoblin
Consistency is the hobgoblin of large language models.
—
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
While the community might celebrate the hobgoblin’s induction into Detroit culture, Detroiters must always keep watch for when the Nain Rouge returns and provokes disaster.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2023
The narrative unfolds communally around a table, with plenty of backtracking, retconning, and joking—and avoiding the small-minded hobgoblins of consistency and rules-lawyering.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 27 June 2023
Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
—John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 4 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
While the community might celebrate the hobgoblin’s induction into Detroit culture, Detroiters must always keep watch for when the Nain Rouge returns and provokes disaster.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2023
The narrative unfolds communally around a table, with plenty of backtracking, retconning, and joking—and avoiding the small-minded hobgoblins of consistency and rules-lawyering.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 27 June 2023
Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
—John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 4 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblin
Noun
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And Answers For Thursday, March 20 Design your location deliberately Live somewhere that inspires you, not fills you with dread.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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Its wartime atmosphere gives it a sense of dread all its own and its set pieces are all doozies, especially the Statue of Liberty climax.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community helped Santa’s elves during the recent holiday season in collecting nearly 1,700 toys and bikes that were then donated to local organizations for distribution to families in need in the Twin Cities metro area.—
Jacqueline Devine,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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The story follows Ferrell as Buddy, a human man raised by Santa's elves, who ultimately leaves the North Pole to search for his biological father (James Caan) in New York City.—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Kids consider costumes ranging from spooky goblins to little angels, and parents begin considering how to ration the candy collected after a long night of trick-or-treating.—
Sen. Dan Hall,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
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This is your starting point, and where the brother from the story encountered the water goblin.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The franchise kicked off with the 2001 film that introduced viewers to Shrek, an ogre embarking on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona (Diaz).—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2025
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The Shrek franchise launched with the Oscar-winning 2001 feature that centered on an ogre named Shrek, who falls for Fiona, the princess of Far Far Away who has been cursed, trapped in the body of an ogre.—
Aaron Couch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.—
Robert Higgs,
cleveland,
1 Feb. 2023
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The dwarf variety grows to be about 5 to 7 feet, ideal for a small garden or accent in a room with limited space.—
Bryce Jones,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Jan. 2023
Noun
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One of Trump’s biggest bugbears is the U.S. trade deficits with a number of key trading partners, including Canada and the EU.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2025
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The fiscal policy has proved to be a persistent political bugbear for Berlin, with arguments between parties over the extent to which the debt brake ensures responsible spending, or limits growth and investment.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Read more Map shows US states allowing firing squad executions Judge blocks nitrogen gas execution in Louisiana, citing 'pain and terror' Are executions in the US on the rise?—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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Catch up quick: The Houthis began launching ballistic missile and drone attacks against Israel less than two weeks after the Hamas October 7 terror attack.—
Barak Ravid,
Axios,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Unseelie Court is the bastion of malevolent faeries who harm humans for their amusement or to exact revenge.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
27 Nov. 2024
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That’s in addition to the strange creatures that roam the countryside such as faeries and dragon.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
6 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblin. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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