: a cause of error or equipment malfunction (as in aircraft) conceived of as a small mischievous gnome
Synonyms
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
Using the Windows install that comes out of the box is probably fine on most of these, but blowing away the existing install and starting fresh is the surest way to exorcise any gremlins.
—
Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 2024
Bring On Larry Culp Larry Culp assumed the role of GE's inaugural external CEO in October 2018, coinciding with the organization grappling with substantial obstacles such as financial gremlins and operational inefficiencies.
—Jim Osman, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Over-the-top elements of this architectural style include balconies carved with peering gargoyles and gremlins on gilded buildings.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2024
As already noted, the AMG EQE SUV doesn't actually go on sale here for another few months, and hopefully that gives Mercedes time to shake out a few gremlins here and there, mostly with the car's advanced driver assistance systems.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 10 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for gremlin 
Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 2024
Bring On Larry Culp Larry Culp assumed the role of GE's inaugural external CEO in October 2018, coinciding with the organization grappling with substantial obstacles such as financial gremlins and operational inefficiencies.
—Jim Osman, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Over-the-top elements of this architectural style include balconies carved with peering gargoyles and gremlins on gilded buildings.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2024
As already noted, the AMG EQE SUV doesn't actually go on sale here for another few months, and hopefully that gives Mercedes time to shake out a few gremlins here and there, mostly with the car's advanced driver assistance systems.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 10 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for gremlin
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gremlin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gremlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gremlin. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gremlin
noun
grem·lin
ˈgrem-lən 
: a small mischievous or troublesome creature
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