phantasms

noun

variants also fantasms
plural of phantasm
1
as in illusions
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality frightened by the phantasms of his own making

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in apparitions
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasms
  1. illusions
  2. apparitions
  3. visions
  4. spirits
  5. dreams
  6. ghosts
  7. fantasies
  8. shadows
Noun
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • When the team built a setup to directly quantify real-time heat flux alongside electrical output, the theoretical illusions collapsed.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusions
Noun
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Today, the massive complex attracts paranormal investigators who report apparitions, voices, and other unexplained phenomena.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Definition of apparitions
Noun
  • The candidates offer sharply different visions for the rainforest.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • How these dueling visions of research in America play out will in some ways be shaped by the outcomes of the next few elections.
    — Megan Molteni, STAT, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of visions
Noun
  • The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to consider whether Congress had the constitutional authority to impose a ban on distilling spirits in private homes more than 150 years ago.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Jonah himself is remaining positive while keeping his spirits up thanks to the love, support and encouragement of his family, friends and all those doctors and nurses who care so much for him.
    — Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • In a matter of weeks, when the midterm results are tallied and the next campaign begins, Democrats with presidential dreams know the question will be coming.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In his dreams, Jose Fiscal Belli is still living an all-American life with his all-American family.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of dreams
Noun
  • From glittering ghosts, ghastly goblins and wicked witches to wily warlocks, fashion can inspire any Halloween transformation.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • There were earlier versions of this story that were openly mocking of Kip, versions that threw Leo under the bus for being too sly; versions that were too overtly political; versions with ghosts that didn’t need to be there, and so on.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of ghosts
Noun
  • The words cut sharply into the jumble of to-do lists, fantasies, snippets of possible writing, worry, and leftover traces of postpartum depression that constituted my mind in the early months of 1993.
    — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • His search gradually shifts from extraterrestrial fantasies toward the invisible outsiders living among us on Earth.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of fantasies
Noun
  • These games are also lighter in terms of ray-tracing demands, running on the first versions of the technology, which were widely toggleable and focused on more realistic reflections and shadows.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The autumn sun is drifting southward and the angle of shadows is shifting.
    — Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shadows
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.

Browse Nearby Words

phantasmic
phantasms
phantom
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Cite this Entry

“Phantasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasms. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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