variants
or spectre
as in haunt
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
feeling so terrified that every shadow became a specter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of specter
Failing that, the only restraint on Trump is the specter of a collapse of Ukraine playing out similarly to the way the American withdrawal from Afghanistan damaged perception of the Biden administration.
—
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
As the specter of U.S. tariffs loomed at the start of the year, Chinese toy manufacturers in Yiwu city, a manufacturing hub, rushed to redesign Santa Claus figurines with rounder faces and blue eyes in hopes of appealing more to European consumers.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 May 2025
At the next hunt, the state will also allow bows and arrows, raising the specter of bears suffering lingering and painful deaths.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025
Joe Carollo spent decades earning his reputation as a political brawler, clashing with Miami bureaucrats and raising the specter of leftist politics and communist ties to get his way.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
As the specter of U.S. tariffs loomed at the start of the year, Chinese toy manufacturers in Yiwu city, a manufacturing hub, rushed to redesign Santa Claus figurines with rounder faces and blue eyes in hopes of appealing more to European consumers.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 May 2025
At the next hunt, the state will also allow bows and arrows, raising the specter of bears suffering lingering and painful deaths.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025
Joe Carollo spent decades earning his reputation as a political brawler, clashing with Miami bureaucrats and raising the specter of leftist politics and communist ties to get his way.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specter
Noun
-
The building sits within the Cadogan Estate, just minutes from Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and the fashionable haunts of Sloane Street and Belgravia. Behind the building’s classic white exterior, the interiors are anything but traditional.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
12 June 2025
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Some include leads on the best hiking trails, places to do yoga, where to find the best coffee haunts, walking tours, things for families with young children to do.—
Lisa Vernon Sparks,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Think disco ball ghosts, skeletons lounging poolside, and heart-eyed skulls that belong on your gallery wall and your feed.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2025
-
Just a ghost in the RAM, stealing data or encrypting files until the system reboots.—
Camellia Chan,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
The friend zone trope suggests that the lovelorn are trapped in the cold shadow of platonic feelings.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2025
-
Those unmentioned months cast a dark shadow upon the rich descriptions of his life as a chemist before and after the war.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
The First Shadow was an effect as magical as the telekinetic wraiths emanating above the actors’ bodies.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2025
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The before-and-after pictures still astound: a skeletal wraith on the left, a rosy-cheeked child on the right.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
27 May 2015
Noun
-
But does Chuck let this phantom haunt him into adulthood?—
Ashley Boucher,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
-
Ray is an enigma and a mystery, a man who zips into town on a motorbike like a phantom and could just as easily evaporate at any minute.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
George’s horse spooks and flees; looking up at a ridge, Joe sees Yé’iitsoh.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The line-up of spooks will be familiar to fans of the British show, with some twists to account for French culture and history.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The series, originally from Monumental Television for the BBC in the UK, follows a young couple inherit a huge castle, only to find one of them can communicate with the various apparitions from history who already live there.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
3 June 2025
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The listing appeared suddenly, like an apparition from the era when Yoshi’s reigned as the Bay Area’s premiere jazz venue.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Specter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specter. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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