as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
we thought a poltergeist was knocking dishes off the shelves, but it turned out to just be vibrations from passing trains
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poltergeist
Or might the brook be angry, like a poltergeist deranged by degradation, indignity, and concealment?
—
Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 30 Oct. 2024
For all of movie history’s great what-if casting coulda-beens, Beetlejuice might have the best of all of them: Burton wanted Sammy Davis Jr. to play the titular poltergeist.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
In Louisville, they are regaled with tales of poltergeists like The Lady in Blue at the old Seelbach Hotel, once frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Lamorne Morris is a lovesick poltergeist in Ghosts first-look photos
08 of 20
House of the Dragon (2022–present)
Thankfully, Game of Thrones fans didn't have to wait long for another trip to Westeros.
—EW.com, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 30 Oct. 2024
For all of movie history’s great what-if casting coulda-beens, Beetlejuice might have the best of all of them: Burton wanted Sammy Davis Jr. to play the titular poltergeist.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024
In Louisville, they are regaled with tales of poltergeists like The Lady in Blue at the old Seelbach Hotel, once frequented by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Lamorne Morris is a lovesick poltergeist in Ghosts first-look photos
08 of 20
House of the Dragon (2022–present)
Thankfully, Game of Thrones fans didn't have to wait long for another trip to Westeros.
—EW.com, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for poltergeist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltergeist
Noun
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Some brands are diligent about paying fairly and on time, while others entirely ghost after the work is done or almost offensive offer rates.—
Kristen Bousquet,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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Kinnell’s ensuing lines about his meal with the long-dead poet John Keats make a compelling case for conversations with ghosts.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the writer-director’s latest horror flick, The Monkey, there is no malignant apparition, and death doesn’t lurk or stalk.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
7 Feb. 2025
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Zoe, as an apparition, is both the cause and relief to her pain.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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What none of them realize is the power of the sandman. Staples, who holds an MFA in fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts, gives us a creepy and fast-paced story that details the workings of a well-run casino and the spirits of those who have been there in life.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Pompeii is closer in spirit for many of the shows that Bauer was known for at Tandem such as The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Whatever phantom is chasing him is a persistent one, the show teasing the events that drove him away from his job repeatedly through the pilot.—
Ayan Artan,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2025
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The sonic phantoms that have long plagued The View have finally wafted over to terrorize the set of Live With Kelly and Mark.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poltergeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltergeist. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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