variants
or spectres
as in apparitions
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
feeling so terrified that every shadow became a specter
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Recent Examples of specters
See-through specters haunt the backstage area of the Muppet theater, a Muppet News report warns of man-eating furniture, and Kermit turns the tables on Price during a long talk about acting by sprouting fangs and biting the horror icon’s neck.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 June 2026
African diasporic people’s contentious history with these formations of motherhood create specters of separation as reproductive injustice.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Ever the sassy songwriter, Musgraves handles these specters like a pro with witty write-offs.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Skeletal specters emerge as a consequence of tampering with such dark magic, and one launches itself at McAdams' Christine Palmer.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
San Francisco’s iconic fog also contributes to optical effects, like fog bows and brocken spectres, which are rainbows around a viewer’s shadow.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2026
The Duffers have always worn their influences with pride, and the specters of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King helped jump-start the series into a phenomenon.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
The ground of the cemetery opens up beneath them, and specters rise into the air.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 June 2026
African diasporic people’s contentious history with these formations of motherhood create specters of separation as reproductive injustice.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Ever the sassy songwriter, Musgraves handles these specters like a pro with witty write-offs.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Skeletal specters emerge as a consequence of tampering with such dark magic, and one launches itself at McAdams' Christine Palmer.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
San Francisco’s iconic fog also contributes to optical effects, like fog bows and brocken spectres, which are rainbows around a viewer’s shadow.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2026
The Duffers have always worn their influences with pride, and the specters of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King helped jump-start the series into a phenomenon.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
The ground of the cemetery opens up beneath them, and specters rise into the air.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
As Calhoun summarizes, the first part takes up the subject of magic and necromancy, the second treats of witchcraft and sorcery, and the third discourses of all kinds of spirits and specters.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specters
Noun
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Today, the massive complex attracts paranormal investigators who report apparitions, voices, and other unexplained phenomena.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
Why then, when discussing body image after weight changes, is our culture reaching for the language of vexing apparitions and death?—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
Noun
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The floating lids of storage tanks throw shadows that show how full each tank is.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Caffeine and algae extract target puffiness and dullness, making dark spots and undereye shadows less pronounced over time.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
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Just in time for Halloween, the sonic phantoms that have long plagued the ladies of The View have seemingly possessed inanimate objects over on the Live With Kelly and Mark set.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Specters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specters. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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