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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of specter
What happens now, when the specter of federal safety legislation no longer looms on the horizon?
—
Uttara Sivaram, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), coupled with facing the all-too-familiar specter of superhero fatigue.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
The specter of a recession looms large, like the sword of Damocles over the stock market.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2025
Then there’s the specter of a five-day office return looming over the delicate balance that everyone is striving to maintain.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Uttara Sivaram, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), coupled with facing the all-too-familiar specter of superhero fatigue.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
The specter of a recession looms large, like the sword of Damocles over the stock market.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2025
Then there’s the specter of a five-day office return looming over the delicate balance that everyone is striving to maintain.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specter
Noun
-
At The Gilbert’s Resort Tiki Bar Another favorite haunt is the tiki bar at Gilbert’s Resort (the largest in the Keys), where the drinks are strong and fruity, the dining is beachside, and the cheeseburgers are, indeed, in paradise.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The Warriors’ new digs felt especially lavish on the return to their old haunts.—
Marcus Thompson II,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
His voice is the ghost in the machine, a strangely humane presence amid all the urban-industrial pastoral.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
-
In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after… until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Four years later, the Broncos worked in the relative shadows once again to add a dynamic secondary piece to pair with Surtain, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
While tech appears to be at the forefront of investors’ mind for now, tariffs and trade tensions still lurk in the shadows, with Intel CFO David Zinsner warning that tariffs and retaliation from other countries has increased the likelihood of a recession.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Agatha is also being pursued by her ex, Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), a powerful green witch, as well as the Salem Seven, vengeful wraiths of Agatha's first coven.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping algorithm, which can create a phantom 5.1.4 system or higher from just four speakers, inspired vivid sonic immersion.—
Ryan Waniata,
Wired News,
2 Apr. 2025
-
To combat such phantoms, Georgian Dream has passed new legislation that criminalizes assembly and protest.—
Anastasiya Zavyalova,
The Conversation,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Technology The Big Story Potential chip tariffs spook tech industry President Trump’s threats to tariff semiconductors are stoking alarm within the tech sector as companies brace for ripple effects across the industry.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Prouty became an ally of Carto’s and a mentor to the director Oliver Stone, who worked some of his feverish theories of power into the screenplay for JFK—Prouty is the sage, fast-talking spook played by Donald Sutherland.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
For much of its history, the Church has had to defend itself against accusations that levitations, apparitions, and other miracles were not the work of God but that of the devil.—
Emily Harnett,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Todd, the neighbor, even the strange apparitions are obfuscated simply because of their height, which adds to the eerieness of Indy’s experience but also makes Indy’s recognition of Todd’s voice all the more emotional.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Specter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specter. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share