the specter of (something)

idiom

: a notion or fear of something bad that might happen in the future

a nation alarmed/haunted by the specter of famine/war

News of the disease raised the specter of a possible plague.

Examples of the specter of (something) in a Sentence

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Globally, the prospect of trade tariffs under incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the specter of further inflationary pressures in 2025. —

Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 20 Nov. 2024 Which of course raises the specter of whether, if Harris wins, there will be Jan 6-style violence again. —

Richard Behar, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 In a statement, Persis Yu, the deputy executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, applauded the administration for continuing to push for debt cancellation despite the specter of legal threats from conservatives. —

Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024 Many claim the specter of a young woman in a flowing white dress appears along Archer Avenue near the cemetery, asking for a ride. —

Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the specter of (something)

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“The specter of (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20specter%20of%20%28something%29. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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