: a cause of error or equipment malfunction (as in aircraft) conceived of as a small mischievous gnome
Examples of gremlin in a Sentence
during the World Wars, fighter pilots adopted the fanciful notion that gremlins were responsible for mechanical failures on their planes
Recent Examples on the Web
In recent weeks, social media users, especially on X, have been noticing increasing references to goblins, along with other fantasy creatures such as gremlins, ogres and trolls in ChatGPT’s answers to user queries.
—
Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
My current gremlin is that the mic on my Logitech Brio webcam doesn’t always transmit sound.
—Nathan Edwards, The Verge, 26 Apr. 2026
The only thing that would satisfy the gremlin in me is the ruination of my freedom.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Don’t let fear of your inner gremlins stop you from self-work to uplevel your life.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
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Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
My current gremlin is that the mic on my Logitech Brio webcam doesn’t always transmit sound.
—Nathan Edwards, The Verge, 26 Apr. 2026
The only thing that would satisfy the gremlin in me is the ruination of my freedom.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Don’t let fear of your inner gremlins stop you from self-work to uplevel your life.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gremlin
Cite this Entry
“Gremlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gremlin. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gremlin
noun
grem·lin
ˈgrem-lən 
: a small mischievous or troublesome creature
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