How to Use the specter of (something) in a Sentence

the specter of (something)

idiom
Definition of the specter of (something)next
  • Chief among them, for the athletes and the future of the Games, is the specter of systemic doping.
    — Marisa Guthrie, WWD, 14 June 2024
  • But a little more than a week into the new year, the specter of scandal reemerged.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
  • And now, the specter of imminent full-fledged pop stardom.
    — Jim Greer, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2024
  • With the specter of war crimes charges now hanging over the Israel-Hamas war, so too are questions.
    — Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2024
  • And the specter of an Argentina team that somehow lost its first World Cup match loomed.
    — José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 25 Nov. 2022
  • Cities frequently have used the specter of rising crime rates as reason to pass the rules.
    — Liam Dillonstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2023
  • But the specter of the Taliban’s edicts targeting women and girls also looms at the Afghan Post.
    — Riazat Butt, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2024
  • In the space of just a few months, the specter of artificial intelligence has come to haunt the world.
    — Diane Coyle, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
  • Therefore, the next time the NCAA raises the specter of the end of sports, courts and policymakers should not be cowed.
    — Dionne Koller, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2024
  • Two elementary schools had merged and, at the time, the specter of other closures loomed.
    — Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 21 Mar. 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
  • What once looked like a leisurely stroll to a division title now has the specter of collapse around it.
    — Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024
  • And through it all, the specter of Lewis’ bloody face hangs over her, a grisly harbinger of doom amid the endless meet-and-greets and dress rehearsals.
    — Abby Monteil, Them, 23 Oct. 2024
  • All of these storylines will play out over the next 3-4 weeks for the Guardians as the specter of Terry Francona’s retirement looms.
    — Joe Noga, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2023
  • But the situation has also raised the specter of the once unthinkable.
    — Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
  • The combination of weak growth and rising prices is raising the specter of stagflation.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 16 May 2024
  • As the specter of Lestat, Reid is more alluring and more unhinged than he’s ever been.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 12 May 2024
  • Jackson is haunted by the specter of the dead child she is named after and by the other four family members who died in the wreck.
    — Lisa Page, Washington Post, 13 June 2023
  • Looming over that, is the specter of full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran, which backs the militant group.
    — Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 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
  • Whether with a gun, a mastermind or a monster, most thrillers thrill by invoking the specter of death: Who’s going to die and how?
    — Jesse Green, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2023
  • None of it illuminates Carmy’s character the way the specter of his dead brother did.
    — Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
  • But against those practicalities is the specter of how the anti-DEI laws will be enforced.
    — Danielle McLean, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
  • But even as the specter of war looms over the country, many are operating normally.
    — Sarah El Sirgany, CNN, 5 Aug. 2024
  • For the moment, the indies and majors seem dedicated to buying and releasing movies — but the specter of the strikes still looms.
    — Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Sep. 2023
  • Yes, the specter of Montana still looms, even though Montana himself, sensitive to the burden of his legacy, tries not to loom.
    — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2021
  • But a flood of cheap models has raised the specter of another trade war with its Western trading partners.
    — Laura He, CNN, 18 June 2024
  • Israeli demands for the mass evacuation of parts of Gaza have raised the specter of ethnic cleansing.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023
  • He’s enjoyed the specter of games in Buffalo, from unpredictable weather to a rabid fan base.
    — Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 30 Nov. 2024
  • Georgian Dream has used the specter of being dragged into the Ukraine war to controversial effect in its campaign material.
    — David Hodari, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the specter of (something).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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