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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of specter
The specter of a Department of Health and Human Services helmed by vaccine denier in chief RFK Jr. does not give us much hope for a system committed to safeguarding us.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
Trump’s order includes a mechanism to escalate the rates charged by the U.S. against retaliation by the other countries, raising the specter of an even more severe economic disruption.
—Christopher Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
The underlying heartbreak of Oakland losing the A’s, the empty Coliseum next door and the specter of moves to Sacramento and Las Vegas was for the most part kept in the background.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2025
Putin and various Russian officials have frequently raised the specter of nuclear escalation.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
Trump’s order includes a mechanism to escalate the rates charged by the U.S. against retaliation by the other countries, raising the specter of an even more severe economic disruption.
—Christopher Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025
The underlying heartbreak of Oakland losing the A’s, the empty Coliseum next door and the specter of moves to Sacramento and Las Vegas was for the most part kept in the background.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2025
Putin and various Russian officials have frequently raised the specter of nuclear escalation.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specter
Noun
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Two other Denver haunts made Yelp’s list: Steakhouse Guard and Grace (1801 California St.) came in at No. 23, followed by Sushi Den (1487 S. Pearl St.) at No. 64.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
The Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2025
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So, there’s little wonder that while many of his Gen Z musical contemporaries followed the bedroom TikTok-to-hit performer pathway, Myers’ roots extend back to the vaunted singer-songwriter haunts of Austin.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
25 Feb. 2025
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In addition to Neftalí and her bandmates, there is her mother, who appears as a ghost, and her mother’s former lover Bettina, who helped instill Neftalí’s love of books.—
David L. Ulin,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Rowley will play Will, a young man caught between two worlds who wants belonging, respect, and a future beyond the shadows of the forest.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2025
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Patrick Schwarzenegger is learning to define success for himself outside the shadow of his famous family.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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The sonic phantoms that have long plagued The View have finally wafted over to terrorize the set of Live With Kelly and Mark.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
18 Feb. 2025
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The results showed clear differences in signal quality: The phantom simulating dry skin had a lower signal-to-noise ratio, while the hydrated skin phantom showed better signal clarity.—
Krittika Goyal,
The Conversation,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Brandon and his cohorts are essentially white-collar espionage spooks, trafficking in all-in-a-day’s-work deceit punctuated by violence.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 Dec. 2024
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But that didn’t stop Joe Barton, creator of Black Doves, the Netflix Christmas spy thriller now streaming, from encumbering star Keira Knightley as dedicated wife and professional spook Helen Webb with Ben Whishaw‘s Sam Young, a fellow spy and assassin, in all matters of love and relationships.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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An iconic apex predator appeared through thick fog like an apparition and cautiously watched a photographer in Yellowstone National Park, stunning video shows.—
Brooke Baitinger,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Feb. 2025
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Narrow beams of sunlight illuminate the torched frame of a single chair – like an apparition of the torturer who once stood there.—
Scott Peterson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
31 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Specter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specter. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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