as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
during the World Wars, fighter pilots adopted the fanciful notion that gremlins were responsible for mechanical failures on their planes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gremlin
Some gremlins can be unraveled with linear problem-solving, a prowess possessed by AI.
—
Chip Bell, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Who knows what gremlins will crop up?
—Richard Bishop, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Senior vehicle operations manager Cliff Lanham with NASA ground systems said the teams have addressed all the gremlins that popped up in the months before the launch of Artemis I, including leaks in the propellant lines that flowed into the rocket.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025
No longer were gremlins only representative of niche superstitions held by nervous military airmen.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Chip Bell, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Who knows what gremlins will crop up?
—Richard Bishop, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Senior vehicle operations manager Cliff Lanham with NASA ground systems said the teams have addressed all the gremlins that popped up in the months before the launch of Artemis I, including leaks in the propellant lines that flowed into the rocket.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025
No longer were gremlins only representative of niche superstitions held by nervous military airmen.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gremlin
Noun
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Thor: The Dark World' (2013) Chris Hemsworth’s thunder god has a sequel that’s a blender of familiar fantasy tropes as Thor and love interest Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) have to deal with a dark elf with an Infinity Stone.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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In contrast, Tolkien imagined elves as elegant and refined, while humans had the capacity to be as barbaric as orcs, or as noble as elves.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
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In fact, Bolg is the name of a goblin prince from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 June 2025
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Brown and Kountz play Luna and Marvin, a couple who moves to Evergreen Lane with a passion for goblins and ghouls that inspires the whole neighborhood to go all in.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Tell me a little bit about the technical side of filming a dwarf and an elf together.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
13 Oct. 2022
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Other new characters include Disa, the first female dwarf ever shown in the Lord of the Rings series.—
Ethan Millman,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2022
Cite this Entry
“Gremlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gremlin. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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