ghosts 1 of 2

noun

plural of ghost
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

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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

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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

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4
as in demons
an evil spirit the vengeful ghosts of seamen who were deliberately shipwrecked upon these shores

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ghosts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ghost
as in tiptoes

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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
Noun
Members of her immediate family have multiple wives, and a close friend claims to see ghosts. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 Their paranormal intervention involves Dichen Lachman as Lois Anthony, in a role best described as Chris Hansen for ghosts. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Detecting cosmic ghosts Neutrinos are the second-most prevalent particles in the entire universe besides photons, particles of light. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026 After being acquitted on a technicality, the former leader encounters the ghosts of Mayan genocide victims as protests break out throughout the country in response to the verdict. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 As life moves on, ghosts remain The suit against Fox filed by Zakrzewski's widow, Michelle Ross-Stanton, is still winding its way through the British legal system. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026 The Rams led the Broncos 16-0 at halftime until some of the ghosts that haunted them against the Eagles last season crawled out from under the bed. — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Six Flags Great America has transformed once more for its 35th Fright Fest, bringing demons, ghosts, ghouls and other things that go bump in the night to the park. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 The podcast has also explored topics including UFOs, ghosts, body image and untold stories behind The Kardashians. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghosts
  1. spirits
  2. hoots
  3. relics
  4. demons
  5. pads
  6. apparitions
  7. licks
  8. traces
Noun
  • The wines and spirits division maintained its momentum with a 6 percent increase in organic sales, while revenues in perfumes and cosmetics were flat in the quarter.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • These competitive spirits must defeat someone else, proving their mastery of the English language in the arena.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • Church bells, owl hoots and sprinklers keeping the grass hydrated during this dry spell fill the space between the occasional motor trudging along a main road devoid of commotion.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles.
    — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoots
Noun
  • The presentation positioned Zelda products almost as relics representing an ancient myth passed down through history.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Behind the reception desk, a wall of 109 wooden pigeonholes doubles as an art installation, with some compartments displaying replicas of the property's original room keys and others filled with nautical relics reflecting Naples's coastal allure.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of relics
Noun
  • Kirby Smart is hoping to exorcise some of the Crimson Tide demons that have followed him during his time as the Bulldogs head coach.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Dracula has been defeated for good, but his castle has plunked itself down in Paris and all sorts of demons — not to mention Joan of Arc — are on the loose.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of demons
Verb
  • In other words, the additional money that our companies are shelling out to cover higher memory costs ultimately pads these three companies’ bottom lines.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 21 June 2026
  • Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.
    — Maren Longbella, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Definition of pads
Noun
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Today, the massive complex attracts paranormal investigators who report apparitions, voices, and other unexplained phenomena.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Definition of apparitions
Noun
  • But for the most part, both are getting their points across, landing a few licks and, so far, avoiding the sort of major gaffe or damaging moment that could reshape the race.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Shafee operates in a languid, free-form zone throughout, trading his funky licks for loose, spacious lines and tolling, repetitive chords.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of licks
Noun
  • The words cut sharply into the jumble of to-do lists, fantasies, snippets of possible writing, worry, and leftover traces of postpartum depression that constituted my mind in the early months of 1993.
    — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • It is considered highly likely that gold jewelry purchased in Great Britain in the mid- to late 1980s contained traces of the ingots stolen from the Brink’s-Mat warehouse.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of traces

Browse Nearby Words

ghostly
ghosts
ghostwriter
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Cite this Entry

“Ghosts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ghosts. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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