as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains
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Recent Examples of poltergeist
In 1548, Johannes Gast wrote about a Faust who had played tricks on a group of monks by introducing a poltergeist into the monastery.
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James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
In the clip, Lydia Deetz (Ryder) and her daughter, Astrid (Ortega), appear to accidentally summon the poltergeist just as Lydia did in the 1988 classic by repeating Beetlejuice's name three times.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 2 July 2024
Soon, two films will compete over nostalgia baiting as Eddie Murphy reprises his role from Beverly Hills Cop and Michael Keaton returns as the titular poltergeist in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, both based on movies from the 1980s.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 May 2024
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice brings Michael Keaton back as the iconically ghastly poltergeist in a decades-in-the-making sequel that reunites him with visionary director Tim Burton and costars Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for poltergeist 
James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
In the clip, Lydia Deetz (Ryder) and her daughter, Astrid (Ortega), appear to accidentally summon the poltergeist just as Lydia did in the 1988 classic by repeating Beetlejuice's name three times.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 2 July 2024
Soon, two films will compete over nostalgia baiting as Eddie Murphy reprises his role from Beverly Hills Cop and Michael Keaton returns as the titular poltergeist in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, both based on movies from the 1980s.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 May 2024
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice brings Michael Keaton back as the iconically ghastly poltergeist in a decades-in-the-making sequel that reunites him with visionary director Tim Burton and costars Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for poltergeist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeist
Noun
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According to Taiwanese rural folklore, figures spotted in yellow coats in the mountainous forests are not human, but ghosts who seek to lead the living astray.Patrick Frater, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
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That night, Elizabeth’s ghost possesses Jill to speak to Jack.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The lore goes that multiple apparitions haunt the area, including 16-year-old Frank Denvin, who fell head-first from a water slide into an empty cement tank in 1896, and two brothers who remain drawn to the dangerous currents.Shawna Chen, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
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Just when Americans had all but forgotten about the senescent apparition haunting the Oval Office, Joe Biden wanders aimlessly in from the wings to remind the voting public of its resolve to usher him out of public life forever.Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Caro Holdings intends to expand its marketplace platform to the pet care and spirits industries in the United States and the United Kingdom.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
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The luxury stay has 24-hour room and concierge service included in the price, as well as premium spirits and à la carte restaurants.Tess Foley-Cox, theweek, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Gloria and Ruby arrive soon enough, dragging husbands and humdrum lives from elsewhere in Britain, but Joan is the real phantom — no one in the family has seen her for twenty years.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
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Mary Holland is joining the cast as Patience, the ghost of an ultra-judgmental Puritan woman abandoned by gay Revolutionary War phantom Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones).Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near poltergeist
Cite this Entry
“Poltergeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeist. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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