bogeyman

noun

variants also bogyman
Definition of bogeymannext
as in specter

Related Words

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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 bogeyman Some 15 to 20 years ago, MSG was nothing less than a nutritional bogeyman. — Caroline Tien, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026 His other go-to bogeyman, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now firmly in his lame-duck era as his term ends this spring. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026 No matter how much so many us love and believe in edgy comedy, a line exists between cutting satire and normalizing violence, and stay wary of anyone who tries to use the bogeyman of repression to erase it. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 Damac, sitting 15th in the SPL and requiring a point against Al Nassr to guarantee survival, were the team hoping to be the latest bogeyman in Ronaldo’s quest to be a champion in his fifth country, his eighth league triumph in 24 years. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for bogeyman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bogeyman
  1. specter
  2. demon
  3. ghoul
  4. phantom
  5. banshee
  6. terror
  7. imp
  8. phantasm
Noun
  • But adding capacity also raises the specter of a potential supply glut down the road if demand cools off.
    — Bailey Lipschultz, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • Shaky peace talks to formally end the Iran war means the specter of inflation also still remains, according to analysts.
    — DJ Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026
Definition of specter
Noun
  • Wynonna, with help from her younger sister, the town’s sheriff and an infamous Wild West gunslinger, must save her hometown from demons and other supernatural creatures.
    — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • In the film, Tanjiro, Nezuko and the Hashira are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where the Demon Slayer Corps must confront the terrifying Upper Rank demons.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • Night of the Living Dead centers all the action at a farmhouse, where seven people attempt to ward off the ghouls — without any prior knowledge of how to do so.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
  • As boss-man turns into a cantering, slavering, apparently all-over treble-jointed ghoul, Young-cheol announces that his own living blood contains the only antidote.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 29 May 2026
Definition of ghoul
Noun
  • That’s the £312 million phantom.
    — Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
  • Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.
    — Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Definition of phantom
Noun
  • Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.
    — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
  • Weaving, even more than before, makes Grace an ingénue gone banshee.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of banshee
Noun
  • Thibault in a news conference Tuesday said that authorities believe the incident was not related to terror.
    — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 30 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, frightful aftershocks continued to rock the area, sowing terror in a population already reaching the limits of endurance.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of terror
Noun
  • At her very best, Emily behaves like a petulant pre-adolescent spoiled imp.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
    — Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of imp
Noun
  • The neutrino is a nearly weightless particle that sails through matter like a phantasm.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 May 2026
  • No one had meant more to Miami during the past three years, devoting themselves to painstakingly lifting a program plump with the phantasm of a reign long past.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of phantasm

Browse Nearby Words

bogey
bogeyman
bogeymen
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Cite this Entry

“Bogeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bogeyman. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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