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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of specters
How do specters enter the room?
—
Literary Hub, 29 May 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
Literary Hub, 29 May 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
-
The museum site has been a paranormal hotbed for decades, with sightings of apparitions, security camera footage capturing items flying off shelves, as well as experiences from staff members and visitors.—
Gregory Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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There certainly seem to be apparitions in this music, some presence apart from the four musicians and the throngs of fans, which is intensified by the visceral collision of so many sounds.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The judging panels awarded Silver, Gold, and, for the standouts, Master medals to spirits that meet a very high benchmark for balance, purity, and category character.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
This new rye whiskey started its life in Illinois, specifically at Chicago craft distillery Koval, which makes some very… interesting spirits (the Koopers trained there as distillers).—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The seven empty chairs in the front row of the audience at the American Poetry Museum had been reserved all along for the ghosts, a space saved for voices not yet present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
No more chasing ghosts who never had the budget anyway.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
As the players linked arms as one by one — five of them were brave enough to take on the enormous pressure of these penalties — in the shadows was the 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in their only other Champions League final twenty years ago.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Pérez daring anyone in the shadows to step forward.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
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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 5 Jun. 2026.
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