the specter of (something)

phrase

: 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

Iran on Sunday warned against a US invasion after a Marine unit arrived in the Middle East, raising the specter of a fraught new phase of the war. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 29 Mar. 2026

That leaves shots in other categories open to legal challenges by vaccine injury lawyers, renewing the specter of big legal verdicts that previously prompted vaccine makers to bolt. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026

He’s haunted by the specter of aging — apparent in Styles’s fixating on wellness in interviews and roasting his own hairline on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court — and has hinted at private anguish over the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026

Gas prices have risen, raising the specter of higher prices across the economy as Republicans look to hammer an affordability message in the midterm elections. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026