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

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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 gremlins come out; the edifices crumble; the saucy doubts and fears triumph. James Parker, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gremlin
Noun
  • Perhaps to offset her severe personality, the ride adds a new character, a house elf named Higgledy.
    Todd Anderson, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Before 10 Things, the young actor gained attention as Bernard, the sarcastic head elf in The Santa Clause (1994).
    Danny Horn, EW.com, 31 Mar. 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 14 Apr. 2025.

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