variants or beldame
as in witch
a mean or ugly old woman knocking on the beldam's door on Halloween was once an annual ritual for the kids in the neighborhood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beldam
Noun
  • The play asks the vital question of when a witch hunt becomes a witch hunt — but also invites us to ponder who gets declared a witch, who are the hunters, and who deserves to be hunted.
    Christian Lewis, Variety, 15 Apr. 2025
  • My hair resembled that of a cartoon witch: thin, brittle, overly straight, and falling out in alarming amounts.
    Liz Krieger, Allure, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • None of these books exactly celebrate the status of the crone; all offer midlife beauty-maintenance tips.
    Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Two crones in Budapest are lording over a cauldron of goulash right now discussing the game.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Several get small charts offering ideas to inspire how the monster could be used, such as what strange price a hag might have for its secrets or what an owlbear might keep in its den beyond treasure.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • This is indicative of someone who puts men at the center of their universe, viewing other women as either competition or jealous hags.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Beldam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beldam. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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