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Ghost that can give you the creeps around opening time (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

spectre

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'ghost' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'can give you the creeps around opening time' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found within the answer.
an anagram of 'creeps' is 'specre' which is located in the remaining letters.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'that' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for spectre that I've seen before include "something seen as a threat" , "Enemy organisation for James Bond; ghost" , "Sceptre (anag.)" , "Ghost, phantom, apparition" , "'Phantom, shade (7)'" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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