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
Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
As lawmakers consider helping the Bears build a new stadium, the ghosts of past stadium deals still haunt the present.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
This is a game where Norman Reedus carries a baby in a jar to rebuild America by delivering packages and defeating time ghosts.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
This includes some that pass through each other like ghosts, some that interact with each other, exchanging energy, and others that decay into smaller particles, releasing a tiny bit of energy in the process.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026
To explain the human tendency to jump to ghosts as a conclusion, Scatterty points to fish biology.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
That doesn’t mean the ghosts here aren’t scary.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Whatever the reason, the rest of the day, ghosts of my former selves appeared around every sandy corner.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
As lawmakers consider helping the Bears build a new stadium, the ghosts of past stadium deals still haunt the present.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
This is a game where Norman Reedus carries a baby in a jar to rebuild America by delivering packages and defeating time ghosts.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
This includes some that pass through each other like ghosts, some that interact with each other, exchanging energy, and others that decay into smaller particles, releasing a tiny bit of energy in the process.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026
To explain the human tendency to jump to ghosts as a conclusion, Scatterty points to fish biology.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
That doesn’t mean the ghosts here aren’t scary.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ghosts
Noun
-
Vitello said postgame that Koss’ helmet cracked as a result of the bean ball, but Koss was in good spirits after the game.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
-
Right now, spirits are high because the overall box office is trending 16% ahead of last year, according to Comscore.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Legend has it that these relics are the remains of martyrs from the early days of Christianity in Rome that were discovered in the 16th century in unmarked graves in the city's catacombs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
Channel Islands National Park, California A throwback to old California, the five-island park preserves paleolithic digs, frontier-era ranches and relics of Spanish exploration.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
That’s an intriguing philosophical swerve for the series that, however late arriving, paves the way for an unexpectedly moving epilogue after God honors Aziraphale and Crowley’s request to remake the universe as a place without gods or demons.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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Prime Video's fantasy series about angels, demons and good and evil is returning May 13 for what was meant to be a third and final season.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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
-
Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
As a result, traces of Denisovan DNA live on in some humans today — something interbreeding geneticists call admixture.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Crucially, the entire supply chain traces back to quartz — essentially sand — with no dependency on China.—
Gene Berdichevsky,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Created by a number of its stars, Ghosts originated on the BBC in 2019, following a group of ghouls from different historical periods haunting a country house while sharing the house with its new living occupants.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 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
-
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 15 May. 2026.
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