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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chimera
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, an animal advocacy organization, argued that if such chimeras gained humanlike awareness, they should be treated as human research subjects.
—
Monika Piotrowska, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
The chimera of a two-state solution still has widespread backing within Washington’s traditional foreign policy establishment.
—Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for chimera
Monika Piotrowska, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
The chimera of a two-state solution still has widespread backing within Washington’s traditional foreign policy establishment.
—Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for chimera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chimera
Noun
-
Masks are slipping and illusions are fading.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
The United States, searching for self-definition but loath to lose its illusions—its innocence—needed all of this as a counterpoint.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
In the first few episodes of Season 3, Cassie was seen pursuing a career on OnlyFans in order to save money for the wedding of her dreams.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 May 2026
-
Realization of childhood dreams can be that way, though.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Similar to 2023-2024, realistic/contemporary and dystopia/sci-fi/fantasy remain the dominant genres banned in the 2024-2025 school year.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
My exterior gender and interior one were out of alignment, and every attempt to sync them—with corresponding clothes, a rich fantasy life, and standing up over the toilet bowl to pee, messily—ultimately failed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both have stood out for having a long-term strategic vision for football rather than big spending.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Some Democrats revive the promise of single-payer healthcare Some of the sharpest exchanges occurred over single-payer healthcare, a policy vision that Newsom embraced on the campaign trail and abandoned in office when faced with the daunting price tag and political hurdles.—
Ben Paviour
May 6,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chimera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chimera. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
