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
Acosta’s bright shapes could be seen as apparitions of a sort.
—
Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
On top of these apparitions, a human foe, whose motives for committing a crime seem rather nebulous, also exists.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
As the 14-year-old child of a poor family in 1858, Saint Bernadette experienced numerous apparitions of a young woman in a cave or grotto, seemingly the Virgin Mary, asking for a chapel to be built on the site.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
The small museum, which opened last year, covers the creatures, apparitions and mysteries eluding prosaic explanation.
—Adam Kuehl, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
On top of these apparitions, a human foe, whose motives for committing a crime seem rather nebulous, also exists.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
As the 14-year-old child of a poor family in 1858, Saint Bernadette experienced numerous apparitions of a young woman in a cave or grotto, seemingly the Virgin Mary, asking for a chapel to be built on the site.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
The small museum, which opened last year, covers the creatures, apparitions and mysteries eluding prosaic explanation.
—Adam Kuehl, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apparitions
Noun
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The vice president of the Gardner PTA, Oralia Rodriguez, even brought ice cream to campus in an effort to lift spirits.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Pernod Ricard has spent recent years moving away from wine and toward spirits, including the December sale of Mumm Napa to Trinchero Family Wine & Spirits.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That’s how ghosts come to haunt a place.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
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Of course, ne’er-do-wells saw an opportunity to dress up and commit crimes as ghosts.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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What are the shadows doing, coming off the ridges of those canyons?—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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Riachi leaned into its shadows, installing panelling and perforated screens in American walnut, a timber chosen for its rich, timeless quality.—
Amy Bradford,
Architectural Digest,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Such is the difference between playoff team with championship visions and play-in team with a potential off-ramp into the draft lottery.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance force him to confront dark corners of his past.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apparitions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apparitions. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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