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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of specter
But the two reports this week have markets convinced that the specter of surging inflation has receded.
—
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
Still, every specter must have an exorcist —and, luckily, ink has several.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025
The specter of a teachers strike once seemed remote, but as 2025 proceeds, that could become a very real prospect.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
An ongoing property sector crisis, deflationary pressures exacerbated by muted consumer confidence and the specter of tariff hikes pledged by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump loom large over China's 2025 growth prospects.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for specter 
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
Still, every specter must have an exorcist —and, luckily, ink has several.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025
The specter of a teachers strike once seemed remote, but as 2025 proceeds, that could become a very real prospect.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
An ongoing property sector crisis, deflationary pressures exacerbated by muted consumer confidence and the specter of tariff hikes pledged by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump loom large over China's 2025 growth prospects.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for specter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specter
Noun
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Working from memory, my own map of Paris (please pardon my crude drawing skills!) is therefore a loose constellation of personal favorite haunts and notable landmarks: Try it yourself.—
Mark Nevins,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Its protagonist, played by Oscar Isaac, is a cranky folk musician who performs at the Gaslight Cafe, one of Dylan’s haunts, and cannot catch a break.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
29 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Scenes unfold in extended, impulsively mobile shots, which create the impression of a ghost who is no mere passive observer but an alert and active mind.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
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Hollywood’s ghosts fill Lynch’s work, and so does its muck and its filth.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Her brim, tilted low, cast a thick shadow over her eyes, shielding her from the view of millions of Americans who were lying in wait for some kind of reaction.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
20 Jan. 2025
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That’s saying something considering that when Biden took office in January 2021 the economy was still under the shadow of Covid, with many folks choosing to spend the holiday season in late 2020 away from friends and family because of the spread of the omicron variant.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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Many slide hopelessly back into lives as nearly invisible wraiths, measured in the intervals between fixes — and arrests.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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On Friday, a team of researchers argued that the fish was a phantom all along.—
Jason Nark,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
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Listen to this article San Diego Symphony organ curator Bob Knight will never be mistaken for the phantom of the opera.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 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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There’s a kind of Gothic quality to the apparitions, calling to mind Edward Gorey figures, but all smeared and melted and smudged.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
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There have been no sightings, no fleeting apparitions.—
David Ornstein,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near specter
Cite this Entry
“Specter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specter. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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