wishful thinking
noun
: the attribution of reality to what one wishes to be true or the tenuous justification of what one wants to believe
Examples of wishful thinking in a Sentence
The idea that the enemy will immediately surrender is nothing more than wishful thinking.
Recent Examples on the Web
In retrospect, this myth, sold to the public as COIN, is part of a larger pattern of dishonesty that runs through America’s longest war, 20 years of wishful thinking and willful ignorance that culminated in tragedy on Aug. 15, 2021, when Raziq’s mortal enemies entered Kabul in triumph.
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Matthieu Aikins Victor J. Blue Peter Ganim Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 22 May 2024
That conclusion – or wishful thinking – led to extrapolating that a $97.5 billion surplus would emerge in 2022-23 and future years.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 21 May 2024
That conclusion — or wishful thinking — led to extrapolating that a $97.5 billion surplus would emerge in 2022-23 and future years.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 18 May 2024
The current possibilities do have limits, though — your ability to tell the difference between intuition and wishful thinking will be vital to making the most of this opportunity.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 3 May 2024
The research lacked rigor, critics argued, and what seemed like animal communication could simply have been wishful thinking, with researchers unconsciously cuing their animals to respond in certain ways.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 12 May 2024
Related Articles Walters: Newsom, legislators try gimmicks, wishful thinking to close California’s budget deficit
Former state Controller Betty Yee, who’s running to replace Newsom in 2027, advocated tax reform for years but ultimately backed off.
—George Skelton, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
Candid, forthright, and often courageous, this book cuts through decades of bromides, wishful thinking, and unconstructive ambiguity to assess the long and painful struggle to establish democracy in Israel.
—Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Manchin saw it as wishful thinking, indicating the coach has zero aspirations in politics.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Matthieu Aikins Victor J. Blue Peter Ganim Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 22 May 2024
That conclusion – or wishful thinking – led to extrapolating that a $97.5 billion surplus would emerge in 2022-23 and future years.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 21 May 2024
That conclusion — or wishful thinking — led to extrapolating that a $97.5 billion surplus would emerge in 2022-23 and future years.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 18 May 2024
The current possibilities do have limits, though — your ability to tell the difference between intuition and wishful thinking will be vital to making the most of this opportunity.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 3 May 2024
The research lacked rigor, critics argued, and what seemed like animal communication could simply have been wishful thinking, with researchers unconsciously cuing their animals to respond in certain ways.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 12 May 2024
Related Articles Walters: Newsom, legislators try gimmicks, wishful thinking to close California’s budget deficit
Former state Controller Betty Yee, who’s running to replace Newsom in 2027, advocated tax reform for years but ultimately backed off.
—George Skelton, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
Candid, forthright, and often courageous, this book cuts through decades of bromides, wishful thinking, and unconstructive ambiguity to assess the long and painful struggle to establish democracy in Israel.
—Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Manchin saw it as wishful thinking, indicating the coach has zero aspirations in politics.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wishful thinking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wishful thinking
Cite this Entry
“Wishful thinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wishful%20thinking. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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