as in spirits
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
an eccentric who claimed to have photographed an apparition in her very own house
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Recent Examples of apparitions
The image combines each planet's nightly positions during separate 2025 apparitions, assembled by astrophotographer Petr Horálek, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.
—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Sam slips back into her addiction and as her alcoholism worsens, so do the visions and apparitions that seem to be haunting the forest.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
One of the most stunning exhibitions of the year put the spotlight on Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has a long history dating back to 1531, tied to four apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a peasant in Mexico.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
There have been Marian apparitions such as Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal and Our Lady of Lourdes in France, each with its own story and significance in the Catholic identity of its respective region.
—Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 11 Dec. 2025
In this show the palette shifted from the artist’s familiar Pepto-Bismol pink to slightly more somber shades, of saffron, eggplant, and rose; the colors had a touch of Bob Thompson about them, blocky flat shapes cohering into apparitions.
—Helen Molesworth, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
In this version, miserly Madame Eleanor is visited by the ghost former business partner Jacob Marley as well as a few other apparitions.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Pulse is a ghost story, featuring two interwoven storylines about young Tokyoites who begin to see and hear strange apparitions flitting across their computer screens.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Throughout modern history, visitors have reported ghostly apparitions according to Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Sam slips back into her addiction and as her alcoholism worsens, so do the visions and apparitions that seem to be haunting the forest.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
One of the most stunning exhibitions of the year put the spotlight on Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has a long history dating back to 1531, tied to four apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a peasant in Mexico.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
There have been Marian apparitions such as Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal and Our Lady of Lourdes in France, each with its own story and significance in the Catholic identity of its respective region.
—Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 11 Dec. 2025
In this show the palette shifted from the artist’s familiar Pepto-Bismol pink to slightly more somber shades, of saffron, eggplant, and rose; the colors had a touch of Bob Thompson about them, blocky flat shapes cohering into apparitions.
—Helen Molesworth, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
In this version, miserly Madame Eleanor is visited by the ghost former business partner Jacob Marley as well as a few other apparitions.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Pulse is a ghost story, featuring two interwoven storylines about young Tokyoites who begin to see and hear strange apparitions flitting across their computer screens.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Throughout modern history, visitors have reported ghostly apparitions according to Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apparitions
Noun
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Despite its name, the bar operates as a globally minded cocktail destination with equal attention paid to other spirits, along with small bites and an impressive cigar selection.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
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And for Dirty Shirleys, different spirits, including vodka, gin, tequila and vermouth can be substituted.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are a few characters—the cowboy who leads horseback rides through the canyon (straight from central casting, but totally legit), or the guide who takes you hiking into the desert who knows how to survive on cactus and insects and also feels the presence of Navajo ghosts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
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The silk mousseline garments floated almost like ghosts or memories of Chanel designs past, including the famous skirt suit with its matching cardigan and Karl Lagerfeld modernisms like jeans with a tweed jacket, plus the iconic flap bag.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The changes also allowed Mingo to step out of the shadows cast by André DeShields and Richard Pryor, who played the Wiz in the original Broadway show and 1978 movie adaptation, and make the role his own.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
7 Jan. 2026
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In it, prisoners trapped inside a cave perceive the world only through shadows cast by outside objects.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Big claims without specifics, such as bold visions with no concrete examples.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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And even the ethical people have differing perspectives—hard-core utilitarians focus on suffering—and then there are people like me who have more ambitious visions.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apparitions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apparitions. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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