as in spirits
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains
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Recent Examples of poltergeists
There are newspaper clippings, from the 1950s through to the 2000s, concerning ghost sightings, or reports of poltergeists in market towns or children who appear to possess uncanny extrasensory powers.
—
Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeists
Noun
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Ancient Mayans later believed cenotes were sacred portals to the underworld, where gods and spirits dwelled.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
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Ancient Mayans believed cenotes were sacred portals to the underworld, where gods and spirits dwelled.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Then, in an act of generosity, Isaac gifts Jay’s recliner to the basement ghosts.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Apr. 2026
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That’s how ghosts come to haunt a place.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Acosta’s bright shapes could be seen as apparitions of a sort.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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On top of these apparitions, a human foe, whose motives for committing a crime seem rather nebulous, also exists.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poltergeists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeists. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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