1
as in spirits
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
looked for ghosts in the graveyard on Halloween
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in damns
the smallest amount or part imaginable
she may be a good endurance runner, but she doesn't stand a ghost of a chance of winning in a sprint
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in relics
a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished
the down-at-the-heels town house is but a ghost of the neighborhood's former grandeur
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in demons
an evil spirit
the vengeful ghosts of seamen who were deliberately shipwrecked upon these shores
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ghosts
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Good, bad or meh, any movie, painting, song that strikes you on some gut level, for whatever reason, drags behind it the ghosts of ourselves, the past, future and present.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Many were violent, and some involved ghosts.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
If every love story is a ghost story, as David Foster Wallace wrote, those who tell the tales might consider how many of love’s ghosts are still alive.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
With the ghosts of Euro 2020 firmly exorcised, there’s no question ‘Little Chilli’ will bring the heat.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
The mellow assurance of Beam’s team of professionals suggests the heyday of Laurel Canyon without quite conjuring any hippie ghosts.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 2 Mar. 2026
Upstairs is meticulously staged as an Airbnb retreat that comes with modern amenities, Old West charm and quaint stories about ghosts.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
What begins as a journey for father and son to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye, quickly turns into a fantastical adventure the tests their relationship and digs up ghosts from Kratos' past.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
There are ghosts lingering in the story.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Good, bad or meh, any movie, painting, song that strikes you on some gut level, for whatever reason, drags behind it the ghosts of ourselves, the past, future and present.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Many were violent, and some involved ghosts.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
If every love story is a ghost story, as David Foster Wallace wrote, those who tell the tales might consider how many of love’s ghosts are still alive.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
With the ghosts of Euro 2020 firmly exorcised, there’s no question ‘Little Chilli’ will bring the heat.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
The mellow assurance of Beam’s team of professionals suggests the heyday of Laurel Canyon without quite conjuring any hippie ghosts.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 2 Mar. 2026
Upstairs is meticulously staged as an Airbnb retreat that comes with modern amenities, Old West charm and quaint stories about ghosts.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
What begins as a journey for father and son to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye, quickly turns into a fantastical adventure the tests their relationship and digs up ghosts from Kratos' past.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghosts
Noun
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The spirits are all around here.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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The day event features a pop-up photo studio with celebrity photographer David Christopher Lee, along with brands across beauty, wellness, home and spirits — and puppies also available for adoption.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Yet, through careful restoration, elements like Pabst’s bar and other relics have been preserved and restored to showcase the rich history of this tie to Wisconsin’s past.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Artifact Exhibition has introduced an add-on VR activity to its walk-through display with relics and reproductions tied to the ship that famously sank in 1912.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own demons on the path to salvation.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
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The hottest mess in this brood, at least from outward appearances, is Josh (Thomas Sadoski), a firefighter battling demons, pills and booze.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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The small museum, which opened last year, covers the creatures, apparitions and mysteries eluding prosaic explanation.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
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The Blackhawks dressing room was a rowdy scene after the game, their hoots and hollers reverberating throughout the bowels of the United Center.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Chemical analysis of the ice revealed traces of medieval mining and agricultural fires from nearby human settlements, and even signs of volcanic activity across the Northern Hemisphere.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
13 Mar. 2026
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The brilliant green color will only last for a few hours, though some Chicago residents have reported seeing traces of green days later.—
Hannah Hudnall,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This also marks the first time players can become ghouls themselves in the mainline story.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
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Now working as a stocker, Ash accidentally unleashes undead ghouls after reading from the Necronomicon, forcing him to take up his chainsaw yet again to save humanity from the Deadites.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.—
Maren Longbella,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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Not to say there aren’t some clunkers, most notably a jokey take-me-out-to-the-ballgame baseball number that pads the second act, but the Flaherty-Ahrens score was and is Ragtime‘s signature achievement.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ghosts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghosts. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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