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
Even barring an outright attack, their existence could deter the United States by raising the specter of disruption at home.
—
Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2025
Staking by its nature does involve a level of centralization greater than that utilized by the bitcoin ecosystem, but the specter of too-big-too-fail crypto firms is not something that can be dismissed.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The appeal once again raises the specter of police torture that hangs over numerous Cook County post-conviction matters and spotlights the Illinois law that allowed defendants who allege police torture to potentially have another crack at litigating their criminal cases.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Putin might also raise the specter of elections in Ukraine – delayed because of the war, and briefly a Trump talking point – to question the legitimacy of Zelensky and even unseat him for a more pro-Russian candidate.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the specter of (something)
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Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2025
Staking by its nature does involve a level of centralization greater than that utilized by the bitcoin ecosystem, but the specter of too-big-too-fail crypto firms is not something that can be dismissed.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The appeal once again raises the specter of police torture that hangs over numerous Cook County post-conviction matters and spotlights the Illinois law that allowed defendants who allege police torture to potentially have another crack at litigating their criminal cases.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Putin might also raise the specter of elections in Ukraine – delayed because of the war, and briefly a Trump talking point – to question the legitimacy of Zelensky and even unseat him for a more pro-Russian candidate.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 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 4 Nov. 2025.
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