the specter of (something)
idiom
: a notion or fear of something bad that might happen in the future
a nation alarmed/haunted by the specter of famine/war
News of the disease raised the specter of a possible plague.
Examples of the specter of (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Globally, the prospect of trade tariffs under incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the specter of further inflationary pressures in 2025.
—
Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 20 Nov. 2024
Which of course raises the specter of whether, if Harris wins, there will be Jan 6-style violence again.
—Richard Behar, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
In a statement, Persis Yu, the deputy executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, applauded the administration for continuing to push for debt cancellation despite the specter of legal threats from conservatives.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Many claim the specter of a young woman in a flowing white dress appears along Archer Avenue near the cemetery, asking for a ride.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the specter of (something) 
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.
Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 20 Nov. 2024
Which of course raises the specter of whether, if Harris wins, there will be Jan 6-style violence again.
—Richard Behar, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
In a statement, Persis Yu, the deputy executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, applauded the administration for continuing to push for debt cancellation despite the specter of legal threats from conservatives.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Many claim the specter of a young woman in a flowing white dress appears along Archer Avenue near the cemetery, asking for a ride.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the specter of (something)
Dictionary Entries Near the specter of (something)
Cite this Entry
“The specter of (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20specter%20of%20%28something%29. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share