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
  • The project follows a husband and wife who buy their dream ranch only to discover the land is alive with ancient spirits, and survival means submitting to increasingly disturbing rituals with each turn of the season.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Directed by Geum Dong-ho, the musical animation follows a singer-songwriter with the supernatural ability to see spirits who joins forces with a quartet of ghosts to form a musical troupe.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • Directed by Geum Dong-ho, the musical animation follows a singer-songwriter with the supernatural ability to see spirits who joins forces with a quartet of ghosts to form a musical troupe.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • To be eligible to play Power Four college sports now means to breathe; there are rumors that a group of ghosts from the 1907 Pitt Panthers is suing the NCAA to play another year.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghosts
Noun
  • The group uncovers betrayal within its own ranks and faces a battle for the fate of the world, ultimately awakening their true powers and restoring peace, though a new threat emerges quietly in the shadows.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Why not try to capture the moon using a DSLR camera and a telephoto lens when the Harvest Moon rises and in the weeks that follow to track how the shifting shadows alter its appearance?
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shadows
Noun
  • Both phantoms were packed with thousands of dosimeters, tracking radiation dose over specific phases of the flight rather than just a cumulative total.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The two phantoms were designed to be adult females, since previous research found that breasts and ovaries are especially susceptible to radiation damage.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 12 Aug. 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 3 Sep. 2026.

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