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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ghosts
Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
The question is, can German manager Thomas Tuchel, who coached Chelsea to a Champions League crown, lead England past the ghosts of 40 years of World Cup heartbreak and the disappointment of losing the last two European Championship finals?
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
The ghosts of Germany’s past are everywhere these days.
—Katja Hoyer, Washington Post, 9 June 2026
As the Jennifer's Body star told MTV News' Josh Horowitz in 2014, that includes Bigfoot, ghosts, and extraterrestrials.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
But the ghosts of ’94 are never far away.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
The collection spans centuries of storytelling in multiple genres, from migratory fairytales with kings and princesses to legends of ghosts and the Devil to fables with talking animals.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Elizabeth costarred with Tony Shalhoub and Matthew Lillard in the movie, stylized as Thir13en Ghosts, as a woman who gets trapped in a home with a baker's dozen ghosts alongside a team of ghost hunters.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Beware the ghosts of IPOs past.
—Greg Bensinger, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Noun
The ghosts of Belo Horizonte However, no moment symbolizes Brazilian soccer’s decline more than the 90 minutes of chaos at Belo Horizonte’s Mineirão stadium when the host nation took on Die Mannschaft in the World Cup semifinals on July 8, 2014.
—Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
The question is, can German manager Thomas Tuchel, who coached Chelsea to a Champions League crown, lead England past the ghosts of 40 years of World Cup heartbreak and the disappointment of losing the last two European Championship finals?
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
The ghosts of Germany’s past are everywhere these days.
—Katja Hoyer, Washington Post, 9 June 2026
As the Jennifer's Body star told MTV News' Josh Horowitz in 2014, that includes Bigfoot, ghosts, and extraterrestrials.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
But the ghosts of ’94 are never far away.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
The collection spans centuries of storytelling in multiple genres, from migratory fairytales with kings and princesses to legends of ghosts and the Devil to fables with talking animals.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Elizabeth costarred with Tony Shalhoub and Matthew Lillard in the movie, stylized as Thir13en Ghosts, as a woman who gets trapped in a home with a baker's dozen ghosts alongside a team of ghost hunters.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Beware the ghosts of IPOs past.
—Greg Bensinger, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghosts
Noun
-
The railroad got cut to maximize walking spaces while the Haunted Mansion was removed out of respect for Chinese cultural sensitivities regarding death and spirits.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
For more than 48 hours, captain Lillian Zulu had been trying to keep her squad's spirits high despite mounting obstacles.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Their hoots and hollers drowned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s explanation of how a title defense fell short.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Over centuries, relics of saints have been buried in the caves, according to UNESCO.—
Victoria Butenko,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Books, movies, and museums have become increasingly interactive, but there's still nothing quite like standing in the very places where fossils and relics were discovered, or watching history reenacted.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own demons on the path to salvation.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Still, 51-year-old Rhys didn’t take Nile’s demons or Tom’s supernatural burden home.—
Emma Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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
Noun
-
The museum site has been a paranormal hotbed for decades, with sightings of apparitions, security camera footage capturing items flying off shelves, as well as experiences from staff members and visitors.—
Gregory Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
There certainly seem to be apparitions in this music, some presence apart from the four musicians and the throngs of fans, which is intensified by the visceral collision of so many sounds.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Zachary Stevenson’s performance replicates the nerdy-yet-hip Texan through impressive guitar licks and superb vocals that are equally comfortable with sweet ballads and on-the-edge rockabilly songs.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
Elk, deer, and buffalo had migrated to and from mineral licks throughout North America for millennia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
But the papers didn’t contain any traces of drugs at all and the field tests the correction department uses are notoriously inaccurate, returning a false positive roughly four out of five times, according to the lawsuit, which cites a November 2024 city Department of Investigation report.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
-
While the mineral disappeared as the lunar surface eventually solidified and cooled, researchers pinpointed lingering traces of its existence in NWA 12593.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ghosts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghosts. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
