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
Was the specter of Cracker Barrel’s collapse and bankruptcy a mere fancy?
—
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
The chat is an individual and a collective, less hive mind and more omnipresent specter.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
The specter of atomic annihilation, once such a major part of our collective fears, has been dormant for so long, even as the danger hasn’t decreased.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
The chat is an individual and a collective, less hive mind and more omnipresent specter.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
The specter of atomic annihilation, once such a major part of our collective fears, has been dormant for so long, even as the danger hasn’t decreased.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specter
Noun
-
Park Station fills a stein-sized hole in an island that’s otherwise known for open-air beer haunts.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Fischer says the play resulted from Kirk’s sense, on a relatively recent return from Los Angeles to visit his old haunts, that much of old Chicago had disappeared.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The bright orange bucket, sporting Home Depot's logo, features jack-o'-lanterns, bats, ghosts, spiders and spiderwebs.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The ghosts of the Federal Theatre still haunt the 102-year-old movie house, and David Lindoerfer has seen them.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Another growing concern that could contribute to this risk is the increasing use of shadow AI.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The big blue gum out front clawed at the darkness, the hillside in back sank into a void of shadow, and the sky grinned its canescent grin.—
T. Coraghessan Boyle,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The first teaser shows Hemsworth’s Geralt, who looks very similar to Cavill’s version, vanquish a ghostly wraith.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
14 Sep. 2025
-
In the footage, Geralt approaches the domain of a wraith and battles the skeletal specter, culminating in a heart-ripping moment.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Future Antarctic and radio-neutrino arrays will decide if ANITA glimpsed a phantom or a frontier.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Because contemporary phantoms of Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and Rolex are expertly constructed to entice even the most discerning eye, provenance is crucial.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield are iconic characters that are wonderfully resurrected in this remake, the spooks are top notch, and the whole thing looks, sounds, and plays unbelievably.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
-
However, her tragic demise spooks and haunts Jen, since her death is incredibly horrible and sad, rocking the whole Capesode community.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
The Zoo will be joined by a second new maze based on the Bloody Mary apparition who can be summoned by anyone who turns out the lights and says her name into a mirror three times.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Ahead of the 500-year anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Tepeyac, Mexico, the sculpture is embarking on a worldwide tour, with visits scheduled to Colombia, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, among other places.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Specter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specter. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share