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
The fear is that Son’s bullishness on AI is based on wishful thinking.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Not optimism rooted in wishful thinking, but optimism continuously grounded in evidence, partnership, and a bias toward action.
—Chelsea Clinton, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
This isn’t just wishful thinking or aligning myself with numerology’s prediction that 2026 will be a year of massive reset—a McKinsey & Company report on wellness in 2024 evaluated the industry at $480 billion in the US alone, growing 5% to 10% per year.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
One school of wishful thinking features curious coaching decisions, stars sitting for entire fourth quarters or whole games, timeouts going uncalled.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wishful thinking
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Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Not optimism rooted in wishful thinking, but optimism continuously grounded in evidence, partnership, and a bias toward action.
—Chelsea Clinton, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
This isn’t just wishful thinking or aligning myself with numerology’s prediction that 2026 will be a year of massive reset—a McKinsey & Company report on wellness in 2024 evaluated the industry at $480 billion in the US alone, growing 5% to 10% per year.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
One school of wishful thinking features curious coaching decisions, stars sitting for entire fourth quarters or whole games, timeouts going uncalled.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wishful thinking
Cite this Entry
“Wishful thinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wishful%20thinking. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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