as in haunting
of, relating to, or suggestive of a ghost
They spotted a spectral figure in the window of the old abandoned house.
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Recent Examples of spectral
The spectral evidence also indicates DJ was only partially altered by water, which Marchi says tells us something about its history.
—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
19 June 2026
In one chilling early scene, the toys peek out Bonnie’s window and see all the houses around them lit up, from within, by the spectral glow of personal digital devices.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Each parfum has a spectral musk accord that’s a combination of safe synthetic and naturally occurring musks that create unique sensations.
—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2026
Each compound leaves behind a distinct spectral signature.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
19 June 2026
In one chilling early scene, the toys peek out Bonnie’s window and see all the houses around them lit up, from within, by the spectral glow of personal digital devices.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Each parfum has a spectral musk accord that’s a combination of safe synthetic and naturally occurring musks that create unique sensations.
—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2026
Each compound leaves behind a distinct spectral signature.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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The couple made their relationship public in 2008 and went on to appear together in Kelly Reichardt's haunting neo-Western Meek's Cutoff (2010).
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Her mainstream breakthrough — and legacy-making performance — arrived with a haunting performance as stalker superfan Annie Wilkes in the 1990 film adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery.
Adjective
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Their courage quickly wavers in the face of the location’s eerie atmosphere and the deafening sound of cicadas.
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But here, its potential for ugly, alien tones is turned up to 11, an eerie buzz throbbing threateningly beneath the beats.
Adjective
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The cast is rounded out by Coco Jones as Laila’s bestie Jasmine and Langley Kirkwood as the family’s creepy butler.
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That geographic blandness only emphasizes the film’s other shortcomings, such as Schoenaerts’s anonymous work as the villain (a lot of glowering and creepy glares) and the rather rote big-sister/little-sister arc given to Supergirl and Ruthye.
Adjective
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Maddock said the state should see a $2 million increase to the school aid budget and cuts to what Republicans call phantom jobs or phantom employees, positions that are budgeted for but have remained unfilled.
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Other times, a phantom string quartet warmed up.
Adjective
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Things rapidly spiral out of control for the quartet as a waking nightmare, filled with ghostly figures and sudden disappearances, unfolds.
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Loop adds transparency to moving objects between plays, for a ghostly look.
Adjective
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As the two form a close bond, Laila discovers there's some weird business going on within the house that threatens both of them.
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Confessions kicked off one of the weirdest eras in a career that has never been stingy with weirdness.
Adjective
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An epic with supernatural and epigenetic overtones, this debut novel looks like a feast of a story.
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Paul Dano is set to star opposite Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley in the remake of 1981 supernatural thriller Possession coming together at Paramount, Deadline can confirm.
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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