1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
unable to find any tracks in the snow the next morning, I was forced to conclude that the shadowy figure had been a figment of my imagination
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination
thus far, the invisible human being has been nothing more than a figment of fantasy writers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of figment
Soon, though, her world is turned upside down by an unsettling and persistent stalker — or just a figment of her own fracturing psyche.
—
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
In the show, it is revealed that Slater's character is actually a figment of Elliot's imagination, and is his deceased father.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
So this character is a figment of some cis man's imagination.
—Marley Gotterer, Them., 18 Sep. 2025
Are the protagonist’s past lives real, or just figments of his psychosis?
—Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figment
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
In the show, it is revealed that Slater's character is actually a figment of Elliot's imagination, and is his deceased father.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
So this character is a figment of some cis man's imagination.
—Marley Gotterer, Them., 18 Sep. 2025
Are the protagonist’s past lives real, or just figments of his psychosis?
—Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figment
Noun
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But then, over the course of several viewings, new recognitions dawned—on the social contract, illusions of class, and the artist’s deft use of color in this gorgeous study of red, white, and blue.—
Laura Brown,
Artforum,
25 Mar. 2026
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One abruptly gains social permission to behave just as mercifully—to go without the same illusion—to oneself.—
Caleb Crain,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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My colleagues in European public broadcasting, in other countries — whether smaller countries that can’t afford to support their national production at the same level as ours, or countries as big as ours but facing the same budget constraints — are already diving into American fiction.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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On the final day of the festival, The Observer is hosting an event with debut novelists the paper considers to be rising stars of fiction.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For travelers with an adventurous spirit, Costa Rica’s South Pacific is a dream come true.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
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But what was once a distant dream is now coming true for more and more authors, all up and down the ladder of literary fame and prestige.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Less dangerous but more common are fantasies and hallucinations, which Laye believes result from general fatigue.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
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This leaves room for creative speculation that can stretch into fantasy.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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More than masturbatory daydreams, Vladimir inspires our heroine to write with abandon, ignoring professional and personal obligations in service to her muse.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
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Below, some of the finest, high-quality ruffled bedding around the web for creating the frothy bedscape of your daydreams.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The fabrication process uses advanced microprinting systems capable of operating at the limits of current manufacturing, enabling both flexibility and structural precision at extremely small scales.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The judiciary is getting increasingly nervous about AI fabrications becoming part of the judicial record.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Other Democratic strategists too say the state party is pitching a longer-term vision to the national donors getting calls from Florida Democrats today in hopes of boosting their coffers after Tuesday’s over performance.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
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Trefethen led a similar portfolio at the philanthropic organization, Coefficient Giving, which is a major funder of the effective altruism community that has sometimes clashed with OpenAI’s vision for artificial intelligence.—
Thalia Beaty,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Jude relocates this tale of troubled conscience to present-day Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania, and subjects it to a corrosively cynical twist.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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My confidence was further bolstered when Zenker informed me about Beau Miles, an adventure filmmaker known for documenting his self-experiments, who, back in 2020, when an entirely different disaster descended upon us, ate only beans for 40 days (191 cans to be exact)—and lived to tell the tale.—
Ayana Underwood,
Outside,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figment. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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