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
In this haunting and visually inventive documentary, a spectral voice drifts through time and memory to trace the Maidan revolution and the roots of resistance in Ukraine.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
In the photographs taken that day, Bruce has a spectral beauty, as if conjured out of the air.
—Andrew Durbin, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
The installation puts people inside that spectral array of color to capture the essence of those sunrises and sunsets.
—Niyaz Pirani, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
What starts as a spectral curiosity becomes a terrifying and growing presence with an insatiable hunger that begins to consume her life.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
In the photographs taken that day, Bruce has a spectral beauty, as if conjured out of the air.
—Andrew Durbin, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
The installation puts people inside that spectral array of color to capture the essence of those sunrises and sunsets.
—Niyaz Pirani, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
What starts as a spectral curiosity becomes a terrifying and growing presence with an insatiable hunger that begins to consume her life.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectral
Adjective
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But in Soni’s careful translation, the repetitions and subtle variation of Verma’s poems also achieve a haunting, transcendental resonance.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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The ways the siblings cope with their versions of reality are quite different, quite haunting and quite thought-provoking.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Decades after Julian’s vanishing there, the band and various hangers-on recall eerie incidents both in and out of the house—rooms full of occult literature; pub full of haunting photographs—as well as the glimmering stranger circling the Orpheus-esque Julian.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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Three Thresholds To Vet AI The concept of the uncanny valley stems from that eerie feeling people got from seeing early robots that felt too humanlike.—
Praful Saklani,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark, who discovers an interdimensional portal to creepy liminal spaces, and Renate Reinsve as his therapist Mary, the film's massive success will alter its digital release strategy.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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The score during this scene, composed by David Fleming, even echoes the famously creepy tuba notes from John Williams’ Jaws score.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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While some of these phantom islands emerged from more volatile volcanic zones, others, including Surtsey, appeared mysteriously along the gently oozing mid-ocean ridge.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
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Given the phantom income issue, TIPS are often more effectively deployed in tax-advantaged accounts, such as IRAs.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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This results in her ultimately becoming the next ghostly presider over weddings.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
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In his final years, Garrincha cut a ghostly figure.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The movie goes from this weird, seedy love motel to the industrial backwaters, and these long walks and talks down empty streets.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
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The show hinges on finding an ordinary person who, plunged into a group of people he’s never met before, doesn’t reject them as weird or objectionable but embraces them at some basic human level.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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But, for as intriguing as all of those answers were, the driving force behind the episode was not very supernatural at all.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
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Like Stranger Things, The Boroughs features a supernatural mystery that is uncovered by a plucky group of underdogs—rather than teenagers, our heroes are a group of retirees who live in the titular retirement home.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spectral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectral. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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