as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains
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Recent Examples of poltergeist
Things take a turn when the family discovers that their charming rental is already occupied—by a centuries old poltergeist.
—
Annabelle Canela, Parents, 26 Mar. 2025
Houses have always been haunted, but, whereas poltergeists of yore troubled the suburban idyll of white America, in these shows the scariest spectre is a disappearing profit margin.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
That zone also unleashes Hayden Gray as a passing lane poltergeist; Gray leads the entire country in steal rate.
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Enraged, the spirit goes upstairs to his room and begins to cause poltergeist activity like breaking shelves, throwing objects and tearing down posters.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Annabelle Canela, Parents, 26 Mar. 2025
Houses have always been haunted, but, whereas poltergeists of yore troubled the suburban idyll of white America, in these shows the scariest spectre is a disappearing profit margin.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
That zone also unleashes Hayden Gray as a passing lane poltergeist; Gray leads the entire country in steal rate.
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Enraged, the spirit goes upstairs to his room and begins to cause poltergeist activity like breaking shelves, throwing objects and tearing down posters.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeist
Noun
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Video footage recorded by their owner Macie Lamb shows two pups, Ace and Tango growling at a decorative object that resembles a small ceramic dog wearing a ghost costume while holding a pumpkin in its mouth.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
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But March’s family, which has seen their factory turned upside down by the ghost of a former employee, rejects the relationship.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ahead of the 500-year anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Tepeyac, Mexico, the sculpture is embarking on a worldwide tour, with visits scheduled to Colombia, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, among other places.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
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In Lockwood’s world, the apparition of a saint is not strictly strange.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But seeing the children in the shelter − along with the Red Cross staff − brightens her spirit.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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But the new film, set in 1986, finds the Warrens dealing with a bunch of personal matters, as well as a Pennsylvania family haunted by a mirror cursed with malevolent spirits.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Science and magic, love, humour and phantoms.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
13 Aug. 2025
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Gesturing toward cinema’s roots in 19th-century phantom rides and panoramas, FELT finds a dynamic new form for the sensory experience of space and movement.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poltergeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeist. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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