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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spectral
The technique captures light across a range of spectral bands beyond what the human eye can see.
—
Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
When astronomers examined the spectrum of Van Maanen 2 on one of these plates, they were astonished to see spectral features usually associated with much more massive stars—namely, a strong calcium absorption line in the star’s atmosphere.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2025
Researchers around the world will waste hours on the Internet hunting around for the best spectral measurements, says Evgeny Stambulchik, a physicist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025
Unofficially, the headliner that night was Sematary, who at the time was 23, and whose role as leader of the young, spectral, and heavily referential rap collective had recently come into question.
—Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
When astronomers examined the spectrum of Van Maanen 2 on one of these plates, they were astonished to see spectral features usually associated with much more massive stars—namely, a strong calcium absorption line in the star’s atmosphere.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2025
Researchers around the world will waste hours on the Internet hunting around for the best spectral measurements, says Evgeny Stambulchik, a physicist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 26 Mar. 2025
Unofficially, the headliner that night was Sematary, who at the time was 23, and whose role as leader of the young, spectral, and heavily referential rap collective had recently come into question.
—Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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In a beautiful collision of worlds, our talented composer Paul Banks has reinterpreted two Iggy songs in his own unique and haunting way, serving as celebration of both Iggy and the film’s themes.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2025
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The massacre of the Jezebel’s women is a scene of shocking violence for the dystopian series, and the execution of so many women is a haunting vision June imagines when she’s then told by Nick what happened.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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Set on an eerie yet beautiful island, this book is equal parts mystery and love story.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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Oh, and this world's music is composed by Danny Elfman, for extra eerie feels.—
Samantha Neely,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The doll is so creepy that’s peeking out the window.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
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Using Hyper-Granular Targeting That Feels Creepy One big fail marketers make in personalized marketing is getting too granular with data—making campaigns creepy instead of relevant.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Hell, Skinner was already celebrating while DeSmith was kicking at a phantom puck.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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As the casualties have mounted, locals have speculated on everything from the birds being electrocuted by power lines to a phantom serial bird killer being on the loose.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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These ghostly demons are said to appear before a person's passing, a premonition that looks identical to the soon-to-be-deceased.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 May 2025
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Vogue recently spoke to Walker about letting Tom Wolfe guide her expectations of present-day digital media, her favorite blog she’s ever written, the ghostly specter of the girlboss, and attempting to resist universalizing in her writing.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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His monsters are inventive and weird — and almost endlessly memeable.—
Sam Thielman,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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Just a weird observation about the oscillator that is worth pointing out.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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But things are brewing around another movie title, the 2022 supernatural horror thriller What Lies Beneath, which Johnson executive produced.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
30 May 2025
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More than just a haunted house novel, this is a supernatural psychological thriller.—
Gabino Iglesias,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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