as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
a monster in the closet would not have been the first chimera that the boy had seen in his mind's eye
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Recent Examples of chimera
The standard choices presented to us—reason versus superstition, progress versus barbarism, past versus future, space versus Earth, growth versus stasis—were always chimeras.
—
Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump’s yearning after a Nobel Peace Prize is no secret—Israel, Pakistan, and Cambodia have nominated him so far—and Lee may use that chimera to keep Trump onside.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
The chimera appear to float toward a star, as if drawn into -- or perhaps emerging from -- another plane of existence.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Money savvy players might choose to horde their wealth and splurge on a powerful gun for the final boss round, in which the team must work together to bring down the likes of beastly chimeras that dig underground and towering mutants who perform whirlwind moves.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chimera
Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Trump’s yearning after a Nobel Peace Prize is no secret—Israel, Pakistan, and Cambodia have nominated him so far—and Lee may use that chimera to keep Trump onside.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
The chimera appear to float toward a star, as if drawn into -- or perhaps emerging from -- another plane of existence.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Money savvy players might choose to horde their wealth and splurge on a powerful gun for the final boss round, in which the team must work together to bring down the likes of beastly chimeras that dig underground and towering mutants who perform whirlwind moves.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chimera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chimera
Noun
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Oprah loves her designer sweatpant jeans (hello, Rag & Bone), and these Dlooda wide-leg versions deliver the same polished illusion without the splurge.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
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Miuccia Prada, herself a billionaire, has no illusions that the runway is a space for political grandstanding.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This will by no means fit into any version of a food pyramid, but my dream dinner involves a bucket of cheese popcorn and a glass of crisp white wine.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Strong foundations can carry big dreams without unnecessary strain.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The peach-plum gradient gown is the creation of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, whose high-fantasy sculptural gowns emphasize movement and eye-tricking form, often to gravity-defying effect.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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More than just a mere tale of medieval heroism, this is a surreal, gorgeous piece of work that challenges preconceptions of fantasy dramas and feels vitally fresh.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
5 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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While both candidates held progressive policy positions on issues like healthcare, the difference between them centered on communication style, with Talarico’s softer rhetorical approach resonating with voters through appeals to unity and a vision of hope[1].—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Talarico is a vision of a Democratic future reminiscent of high points from the Party’s recent past—rhetorical precision, hopes, dreams.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chimera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chimera. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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