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
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
The ghosts of a 37-0 shutout to Iowa less than a month ago still lingered — the boos that faded into silence, the homecoming crowd that emptied before the fourth quarter, the scoreboard stuck on humiliation.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
There are guns, horses, ghosts, a primal struggle for survival in hostile terrain, family feuds and a steadily intensifying sense of mortal threat, as Old Porch’s ambition and psychopathy escalate the drama.
—Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
The ghosts of the Nazi past reared their heads when The Secret Floor premiered at the Goldener Spatz in Gera, Germany.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
The Live With Kelly and Mark talk show hostess seemingly hasn't known peace on the scariest day of the year for quite some time, but not because of ghosts and ghoulies plaguing her — but, rather, ungrateful neighbors who consistently complain about her Halloween candy.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
On the previous episode, the stars danced spooky routines as ghosts, zombies, vampires and more for Halloween Night.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
So many of its highlights are in black and white, and so many of its GOATs are ghosts, that the former national pastime is easily dismissed as past its prime.
—Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
This allows both characters to see ghosts, communicate telepathically, and demonstrate clairvoyance.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
These ghosts, which take the form of their dead friends, are mostly just goofy, with the shoddy special effects and glowy auras giving the whole thing a distinctly Haunted Mansion vibe; critically, the threat never feels real, which undermines any tension.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
The ghosts of a 37-0 shutout to Iowa less than a month ago still lingered — the boos that faded into silence, the homecoming crowd that emptied before the fourth quarter, the scoreboard stuck on humiliation.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
There are guns, horses, ghosts, a primal struggle for survival in hostile terrain, family feuds and a steadily intensifying sense of mortal threat, as Old Porch’s ambition and psychopathy escalate the drama.
—Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
The ghosts of the Nazi past reared their heads when The Secret Floor premiered at the Goldener Spatz in Gera, Germany.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
The Live With Kelly and Mark talk show hostess seemingly hasn't known peace on the scariest day of the year for quite some time, but not because of ghosts and ghoulies plaguing her — but, rather, ungrateful neighbors who consistently complain about her Halloween candy.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
On the previous episode, the stars danced spooky routines as ghosts, zombies, vampires and more for Halloween Night.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
So many of its highlights are in black and white, and so many of its GOATs are ghosts, that the former national pastime is easily dismissed as past its prime.
—Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
This allows both characters to see ghosts, communicate telepathically, and demonstrate clairvoyance.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghosts
Noun
-
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
-
And for Dirty Shirleys, different spirits, including vodka, gin, tequila and vermouth can be substituted.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The historic downtown is full of antique mining relics and quirky businesses.—
Jen Murphy,
Outside,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The square Edelman and fellow students dug in, after determining the spot might yield interesting relics, did produce tiles, pieces of ceramic and more.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Nas sounds hungry again, his dense, circular writing a tangle of flashbacks and evocative images of preachers rebuking demons and Yoda smoking blunts.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
8 Jan. 2026
-
First, of course, is Nakache’s incredible resilience in the face of the demons of his past, which stem from the greater history of his country.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
There are hoots and hollers from raucous tourists on Bourbon Street, for example.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
-
There are a few hoots and hollers as the others agree or protest.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Premiering May 15 in Cannes’ ACID sidebar, the France–Palestine–Iran co-production traces Farsi’s efforts to get closer to the conflict when borders made reporting impossible, and finds a singular, resilient voice in Hassona’s daily dispatches from Gaza.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Now, the Avenger wreck is one focal point for scientists in a cutting-edge endeavor to understand whether traces of decades-old DNA can be preserved and detected at wreck sites.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Kids can trick-or-treat at Calico Ghost Town shops and businesses before the sun falls and ghouls fill the park.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Dec. 2025
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No disrespect to Purnell, who perfectly calibrated Lucy’s intrinsic hopefulness in the first season and slowly begins to curdle it this go-round as Lucy spends more time among ghouls, raiders, cannibals, and various other feuding factions.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.—
Maren Longbella,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
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 10 Jan. 2026.
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