as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
doing one's tax returns is a real bugaboo for a lot of people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bugaboo
Without Anthony Davis, the Warriors’ biggest (literally) bugaboo wouldn’t be a factor.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
Next week, George was trained as a chef, but he's got one frustrating bugaboo in the kitchen.
—Bon Appétit, 20 Feb. 2025
Can James Franklin officially shed the big-game bugaboo?
—Chris Branch, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Three-pointer propensity and lack of defense are the two main bugaboos observers point to.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
Next week, George was trained as a chef, but he's got one frustrating bugaboo in the kitchen.
—Bon Appétit, 20 Feb. 2025
Can James Franklin officially shed the big-game bugaboo?
—Chris Branch, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Three-pointer propensity and lack of defense are the two main bugaboos observers point to.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bugaboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugaboo
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
While there is indeed connective tissue between the many forms of hate that plague our society, each has its own contours, and there are moments that demand addressing each one specifically – this is such a moment for antisemitism.—
Sara Colb,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2025
-
When plague struck again, only 18 ferrets remained.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
DeChambeau made consecutive bogeys at three and four, never again getting back to double-digits under par.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
That, followed by another bogey on the 14th, allowed Rose and Ludvig Aberg to tie the lead.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugaboo. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share