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
Valak first appears in The Conjuring 2, when the Warrens are in England, investigating the Enfield poltergeist — the case of a young girl allegedly experiencing a supernatural force taking over her body.
—
Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Ghostwatch is truly one of a kind, a ghost story disguised as a live news broadcast in which reporters chronicle a family supposedly being haunted by a poltergeist.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Set in the late 1970s, sees Ed and Lorraine Warren head to a council house in Enfield, North London, where a single mother and her four children are being plagued by what appears to be a poltergeist.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The Warrens are also famous for their investigation of a haunted house in Amityville, NY, and the 1980s Connecticut poltergeist case based on a Warren case, in which demonic possession was used unsuccessfully as a defense in a murder trial.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Ghostwatch is truly one of a kind, a ghost story disguised as a live news broadcast in which reporters chronicle a family supposedly being haunted by a poltergeist.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Set in the late 1970s, sees Ed and Lorraine Warren head to a council house in Enfield, North London, where a single mother and her four children are being plagued by what appears to be a poltergeist.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The Warrens are also famous for their investigation of a haunted house in Amityville, NY, and the 1980s Connecticut poltergeist case based on a Warren case, in which demonic possession was used unsuccessfully as a defense in a murder trial.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeist
Noun
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Elytra Dark will serve as a transfer vehicle to bring the Blue ghost lander to the moon.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
-
California is hardest hit, with officials dismantling 'ghost' agencies created to steal taxpayer money.—
Wes Kilgore,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Venus, on the other hand, reaches its highest altitude in the western evening twilight during June for this current apparition and captures the gaze of millions.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
5 June 2026
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That late-game run––forty-four points to the Cavs’ eleven––was as soul-crushing to Cleveland as the apparition of Willis Reed, hobbling to center court, had been to the Lakers fifty-six years ago.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Blending Old World charm with modern hospitality, Pella offers an inviting escape steeped in culture, history and warm community spirit.—
Staff,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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Originally from Long Island, New York, and shaped by 20 years in southern Arizona, her work examines the intersection of wild landscapes, small-town culture, and the spirit of adventure.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poltergeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeist. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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