variants
or spectre
as in apparition
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
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Recent Examples of specter
Others still worry about the specter of nuclear weapons.
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Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
The same specter of redundancy haunts both Hamnet and Jay Kelly.
—Susie Goldsbrough, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2025
The future is bright With Reed back for another year, the Aggies can build upon this while the specter of coming so close to the quarterfinals will make for some sleepless nights.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 21 Dec. 2025
It’s forced to navigate around the trap of first-world problems, the specter of relatability, and the more recent view that authenticity is, famously, dangerous and expensive.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specter
Noun
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The image combines each planet's nightly positions during separate 2025 apparitions, assembled by astrophotographer Petr Horálek, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.—
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Sam slips back into her addiction and as her alcoholism worsens, so do the visions and apparitions that seem to be haunting the forest.—
Noun
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For the better part of eight years after Super Bowl 50, the Broncos were an organization with delusions of adequacy, fielding mediocre teams with major problems with ownership drama, mismanaged rosters, ghost drafts and an endless carousel of underwhelming quarterbacks.—
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Tony Sparano, whom Ross inherited, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase, Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel are the ghosts who haunt this franchise.—
Noun
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Despite its name, the bar operates as a globally minded cocktail destination with equal attention paid to other spirits, along with small bites and an impressive cigar selection.—
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What’s unique about Tasovská’s approach is that the entire film is composed of Jarcovjáková’s photographs, infusing her artistic spirit into every frame.—
Noun
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Investigators said the resident was experiencing excruciating pain from a hernia, phantom leg syndrome and nerve damage from diabetes.—
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Gives himself entirely to the race, shoots like a phantom up through the opening and then stands panting in the garret, completely motionless, while his eyes become accustomed to the change of light.—
Cite this Entry
“Specter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specter. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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