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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chimera
Officials shouldn’t chase the chimera of independence but instead try to build flexibility in a diversified and interconnected system.
—
Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2021
The chimera turned out really well.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
The air defense community has pursued this chimera for decades.
—James Stavridis, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2025
And sure enough, the mouse that grew from that embryo was a chimera, displaying these traits along with those of the original embryo donor.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 28 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chimera
Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 30 Nov. 2021
The chimera turned out really well.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
The air defense community has pursued this chimera for decades.
—James Stavridis, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2025
And sure enough, the mouse that grew from that embryo was a chimera, displaying these traits along with those of the original embryo donor.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 28 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chimera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chimera
Noun
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Like the film that inspired it, the book circles intimacy, illusion, blondes and brunettes, the psychic architecture of Los Angeles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
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While Grave of the Fireflies is a morbid examination of the way the terrors of the adult world smash the illusions of childhood, My Neighbor Totoro treasures and protects that innocence.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Running the largest sports media company in the world is a dream job for Pitaro, a lifelong Yankees fan who named one of his dogs Jeter (as in Derek).—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
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An original work set in the world of 1950s ping pong culture, the film tells the story of Marty Mauser (Chalamet), a young man with a dream no one respects, who goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Of course, Jon Snow is actually a Targaryen and ends up in a romantic relationship with his aunt, Daenerys Targaryen, in the final seasons of HBO’s hit fantasy drama.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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There are people dressed as recognizable characters from comic books, fantasy movies and TV shows and video games.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Your recurring daydream of spending unending hours splayed out on the beach should take place right here, on the beaches of Isla Verde, located on the edge of San Juan.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
26 July 2025
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After stealing a security guard’s gun (and his wife’s Lorazepam), the mentally unwell husband and father contemplates some violent solutions to his problem during a couple of vivid daydream sequences.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But the film’s precise, funny characters and vivid, sweltering look would have meant nothing without Lee’s wise and ultimately sad vision of multicultural America as a place where good intentions and casual mistrust are as commonplace as the local pizzeria.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
16 Aug. 2025
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The underlying fundamental challenges created by the countries’ deep divisions over their economic ties, the potential for conflict over Taiwan and other hotspots, and their competing visions of the international order can only be papered over for so long.—
Scott Kennedy,
Time,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And a special shout-out goes to SNL’s Vanessa Bayer as the hilarious medium with impeccable timing and detailed delusion.—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
7 Aug. 2025
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Marroquin, who had been jailed on assault and battery charges, struggled with mental illness and persistent delusions that someone was going to hurt his mother.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chimera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chimera. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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