specters

noun

variants or spectres
plural of specter
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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 Spectres are haunting the New York City Ballet—the spectres of kings and emperors. — Jennifer Homans, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specters
  1. apparitions
  2. spirits
  3. ghosts
  4. shadows
  5. phantoms
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
  • Today, the brown spirits landscape in this country has changed dramatically, and there is no longer a single state that does not have at least one whiskey producer.
    — Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But the growth of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits has made zebra striping far more sustainable.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • From giant ghosts and pumpkins to creepy characters and playful designs, larger-than-life inflatables are a fun way to take your outdoor Halloween decorations to the next level.
    — Casey DelBasso, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Forced to confront the ghosts of their past, the partners must navigate a chilling winter landscape and an even darker human monstrosity.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghosts
Noun
  • Serra’s immersive event, a rapture of colors and shadows, pays fittingly grandiose tribute to an emissary of a legendary cinematic era.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The regulatory framework — not the smell itself — determines whether cannabis use happens in the open under reasonable rules or in the shadows with none at all.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of shadows
Noun
  • But now, with her eighth novel, Riley might finally have broken free of her phantoms.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.
    — Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Definition of phantoms

Browse Nearby Words

specter
specters
spectra
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Cite this Entry

“Specters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specters. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on specters

Nglish: Translation of specters for Spanish Speakers

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