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
Recent Examples on the Web
For many adults, recent events in the United States have been raising the specter of authoritarianism — chiefly, policies targeting specific groups of people.
—
Christine Dimattei, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
In the years since, Kennedy has focused on the specter of climbing autism rates to drum up skepticism about vaccines writ large, even as scientists concluded that there is no link between autism and vaccines.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2025
The United States is meeting with six of the world’s largest economies in Canada for a Group of 7 meeting, with the specter of tariffs looming over the talks.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
The resulting dramatic clashes have raised the specter of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, which could draw Washington into a conflict with the East Asian power.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
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Christine Dimattei, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
In the years since, Kennedy has focused on the specter of climbing autism rates to drum up skepticism about vaccines writ large, even as scientists concluded that there is no link between autism and vaccines.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2025
The United States is meeting with six of the world’s largest economies in Canada for a Group of 7 meeting, with the specter of tariffs looming over the talks.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
The resulting dramatic clashes have raised the specter of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, which could draw Washington into a conflict with the East Asian power.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the specter of (something)
Cite this Entry
“The specter of (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20specter%20of%20%28something%29. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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