boogeyman
noun
boo·gey·man
ˈbu̇-gē-ˌman 
ˈbü-
variants
or less commonly boogerman
ˈbu̇-gər-
ˈbü-
: bogeyman
Examples of boogeyman in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Musk has been working to improve the image of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after becoming a boogeyman for the administration due to his cost-cutting push.
—
Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2025
Elon Musk, the de facto head of Trump’s agency-slashing Department of Government Efficiency, has become the new boogeyman for Sanders’s decadeslong warnings about an entrenched class of billionaires.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2025
True Crime Living with Slenderman Kathleen Hale Three little girls, an Internet boogeyman, and a stabbing in the woods on a sunny afternoon.
—hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
Serial killers are our modern-day boogeymen (and women).
—S.a. Cosby, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boogeyman
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.
Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 31 Mar. 2025
Elon Musk, the de facto head of Trump’s agency-slashing Department of Government Efficiency, has become the new boogeyman for Sanders’s decadeslong warnings about an entrenched class of billionaires.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2025
True Crime Living with Slenderman Kathleen Hale Three little girls, an Internet boogeyman, and a stabbing in the woods on a sunny afternoon.
—hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
Serial killers are our modern-day boogeymen (and women).
—S.a. Cosby, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boogeyman
Cite this Entry
“Boogeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boogeyman. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share