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
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An ongoing property sector crisis, deflationary pressures exacerbated by muted consumer confidence and the specter of tariff hikes pledged by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump loom large over China's 2025 growth prospects.
—
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
With the speakership vote scheduled for Jan. 3 and Trump about to take office, the tiny Republican majority in the House is raising the specter of a factional fight among Republicans like the one that led to Kevin McCarthy's removal as speaker last year.
—María Paula Mijares Torres Bloomberg News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 30 Dec. 2024
An innocent business owner trying to comply with the CTA should not face the specter of such onerous punishment.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Grocery prices remain high and there’s widespread fear over the specter of new tariffs being implemented by the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
—David Moin, WWD, 24 Dec. 2024
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Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
With the speakership vote scheduled for Jan. 3 and Trump about to take office, the tiny Republican majority in the House is raising the specter of a factional fight among Republicans like the one that led to Kevin McCarthy's removal as speaker last year.
—María Paula Mijares Torres Bloomberg News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 30 Dec. 2024
An innocent business owner trying to comply with the CTA should not face the specter of such onerous punishment.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Grocery prices remain high and there’s widespread fear over the specter of new tariffs being implemented by the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
—David Moin, WWD, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the specter of (something)
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“The specter of (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20specter%20of%20%28something%29. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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