chimera

noun

kī-ˈmir-ə How to pronounce chimera (audio)
Definition of chimeranext
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

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 Rather than a somewhat normal for Hollywood bakeoff, Paramount plans to kind of smush the two scripts together into one IP chimera. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026 Look behind that curtain and see that the great and powerful Oz is a chimera. — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for chimera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chimera
  1. illusion
  2. dream
  3. fantasy
  4. daydream
  5. vision
Noun
  • The experience works because technology supports the illusion rather than dominating it.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Ukraine, though harboring no illusions about matching Russia’s long-range weaponry or the size of its fighting forces, has been ramping up domestic production of more advanced, longer-range drones and missiles.
    — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • Destinations that combine crystal-clear seas, warm sand tones and unspoilt scenery consistently stand out as the places people most dream about visiting.
    — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
  • Let’s travel path two and figure out how this career part timer doesn’t have to put the rest of their life on hold while the dream career is still TBD.
    — Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of dream
Noun
  • Like an author of fantasy fiction, Wolfgang Voigt is continually rewriting and restructuring the internal logic of his own world, going back to his old work in the hopes of imposing some order upon his sprawling mythopoeia.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 July 2026
  • Pattison famously played vampire Edward in the teen fantasy saga, who competed with werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) for the affection of Bella (Kristen Stewart).
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2026
Definition of fantasy
Noun
  • And amidst the momentum of reverie, there’s the line ‘Blink at the light and hope to survive,’ because daydreams in a fascist state can be scary too.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026
  • One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026
Definition of daydream
Noun
  • For Paules, the founder of Friends of Prefab, the technology is only a means to a social vision of affordable housing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • During his 24 years on the Board of Supervisors, Haggerty’s vision of a connected Bay Area laid the groundwork for some of the largest infrastructure projects under construction today.
    — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of vision

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chime in
chimera
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Cite this Entry

“Chimera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chimera. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chimera

Nglish: Translation of chimera for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chimera

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