as in haunting
of, relating to, or suggestive of a ghost
They spotted a spectral figure in the window of the old abandoned house.
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Recent Examples of spectral
The story follows four standalone, but interlinked tales, each inspired by an iconic Chinese dish and tied together by a spectral chef, who presides over a mysterious, otherwordly restaurant.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
The global spectral phenomena will happen the night after the Southern Taurids meteor shower peaks, according to the American Meteor Society.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The vast stillness of the second movement, with spectral arpeggios chiming on a prepared piano, was all the more potent in contrast.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
In Frozen Empire, an ancient artifact threatens to unleash a second Ice Age and two generations of Ghostbusters must unite to save humankind from this curse and other spectral forces.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
The global spectral phenomena will happen the night after the Southern Taurids meteor shower peaks, according to the American Meteor Society.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The vast stillness of the second movement, with spectral arpeggios chiming on a prepared piano, was all the more potent in contrast.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
In Frozen Empire, an ancient artifact threatens to unleash a second Ice Age and two generations of Ghostbusters must unite to save humankind from this curse and other spectral forces.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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The ultimate Christmastime tradition ought to be repeat viewings of BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas TV movie series, and its pinnacle, the haunting Whistle and I'll Come to You (available on AMC+ and YouTube).—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
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And, in several haunting instances, scenes aboard his helicopter.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The leaps in time have the eerie effect of effacing time—the layered succession of images implying their simultaneity in Lidia’s mind.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
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The absence of noise left Juszczyk with an eerie sense of displacement.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After a creepy launch video followed by wowing us with backflips and dance moves, Boston Dynamics has finally gotten down to business.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Jan. 2026
-
For roughly 25 years, Fear Factor has tested gag reflexes and amplified fears of snakes, spiders, and all manner of creepy-crawlies.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Having been burned badly by his phantom surplus in 2022, Newsom is obviously aware that a repeat would be politically poisonous.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Having been burned badly by his phantom surplus in 2022, Newsom is obviously aware that a repeat would be politically poisonous.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Trilogy is disturbing and alluring, with its ghostly production and chillingly misanthropic undercurrent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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This isn’t the first time that Beatriz has drawn ghostly spirits out of Mexican history.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The then-unknown Michael Shannon, whose early career roles in Chicago were every bit as weird as this play, starred in that production.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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But this year, due to weird scheduling, the BAFTA nods will come out on January 27, after the Oscar nominations.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Set in Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s, Stranger Things starts with a true-crime mystery that quickly turns supernatural.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
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An epic with supernatural and epigenetic overtones, this debut novel looks like a feast of a story.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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