variants
also fantasm
1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
frightened by the phantasms of his own making
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in apparition
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
believed that she'd seen the phantasm of her father on the anniversary of his death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of phantasm
But is the gender phantasm as crucial to the global far right as Butler claims?
—
Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Likewise, Poe’s devilish ambiguity, his production of phantasms both real and imagined, undergirds James’s own ventures into the genre.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Those are all real things, not the phantasms of a junk-food loving fourth-grader’s fever dreams.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
And sometimes the phantasms of artificial intelligence can prompt, in the prompter, genuine emotion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Likewise, Poe’s devilish ambiguity, his production of phantasms both real and imagined, undergirds James’s own ventures into the genre.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Those are all real things, not the phantasms of a junk-food loving fourth-grader’s fever dreams.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
And sometimes the phantasms of artificial intelligence can prompt, in the prompter, genuine emotion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm
Noun
-
To the delusional, reality is an illusion.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The three women enter a love triangle where desire and illusion collide with their unresolved maternal wounds.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mercury puts on its best evening apparition of 2025 for Northern Hemisphere observers during these two weeks.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
As the 14-year-old child of a poor family in 1858, Saint Bernadette experienced numerous apparitions of a young woman in a cave or grotto, seemingly the Virgin Mary, asking for a chapel to be built on the site.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Your first childhood dream job was… A doctor like my mom or an archeologist like Indiana Jones.—
Anna Moeslein,
Glamour,
16 Mar. 2026
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The fever dream continued with Howard wailing on guitar and vocals, the production morphing into a beautiful stew of blues rock and given an exclamation point – and a standing ovation – with Copeland spinning out of the shadows.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are ghosts lingering in the story.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Even Kathy Hilton is like a ghost of her former self, with Jen Tilly taking the crown of doddering kook away from her.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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Farewell to Seasons is a historical fantasy set in that world, and alongside the graphic novel, there will also be a ‘lost’ rock opera connected to the story, featuring original music written from the perspective of David Williams, one of the main characters.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Let wonder guide choices that feed your spirit.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Scheffler was thoroughly amused and looked to be in good spirits heading into Sunday.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 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
-
The Stygiomedusa gigantea, commonly known as the giant phantom jelly, was filmed at 250 meters below the surface.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Old Town The belltower looms like a phantom.—
Chen Yuhong,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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