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
Those themes are alive here, as the ghosts who visit Depp’s Scrooge are intricate, terrifying apparitions not suitable for the whole family.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
But he’s journeyed to Lourdes and Our Lady of Guadalupe, both of which the Vatican has officially recognized as supernatural Marian apparitions.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Acosta’s bright shapes could be seen as apparitions of a sort.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 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
Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
But he’s journeyed to Lourdes and Our Lady of Guadalupe, both of which the Vatican has officially recognized as supernatural Marian apparitions.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Acosta’s bright shapes could be seen as apparitions of a sort.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 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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Customized services from the building’s concierge available to all include events such as wine and spirits tastings that will bring neighbors together.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
19 Apr. 2026
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The inclement weather was a factor early with slick footballs impacting the passing game, but the group’s spirits remained high.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That doesn’t mean the ghosts here aren’t scary.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
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Per the log line, in House of Stassi, Schroeder is stepping back into the spotlight to redefine her place in pop culture — but staying on top means confronting the ghosts of her past and a chaotic inner circle with a talent for disrupting her life.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On this play for the third out in the second inning, Tatis was battling the shadows and took a step back before running up and making a sliding catch.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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The short answer is that a wide gulf exists between rumor and fact and Swalwell lurked in that gray space, living and thriving in the shadows between provability and denial.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But some movies, either deliberately or inadvertently, manage to offer glimpses into the future, either through visions of technological advances or predicted social and political trends.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 Apr. 2026
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When citizens insist on shaping the basic terms of social life by appealing to premises that others cannot reasonably be expected to accept—revelation, doctrines of transcendence, private moral visions—the result is not a purer politics but a dangerously brittle one.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apparitions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apparitions. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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