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

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 gremlin The holiday tale doubles as a good entry into horror for youngsters, with a small town beset by freaky gremlins because teenagers can't follow simple instructions. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024 Yet in their original form gremlins are alive and well, living under new names—daemons, worms, virtual pets. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024 With McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari introducing new updates almost every week, Red Bull has precious little time to address its gremlins. Dan Cancian, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 Or Starliner has gremlins, which could explain a lot. David Szondy, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gremlin
Noun
  • Kelsey recently began selling her wreath attachments — such as big-eyed felt bunnies for Easter, and elves and snowmen for Christmas — in her Etsy store, Peppermint Sue’s Perfections.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Past racial tension between elves and humans is all but ignored in the plot.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Kids consider costumes ranging from spooky goblins to little angels, and parents begin considering how to ration the candy collected after a long night of trick-or-treating.
    Sen. Dan Hall, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
  • This is your starting point, and where the brother from the story encountered the water goblin.
    Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.
    Robert Higgs, cleveland, 1 Feb. 2023
  • The dwarf variety grows to be about 5 to 7 feet, ideal for a small garden or accent in a room with limited space.
    Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Gremlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gremlin. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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