fantasy 1 of 2

variants also phantasy
Definition of fantasynext
1
2
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others the painter gave free rein to his fantasy to create pictures that capture the kind of reality we experience only in our dreams

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination we were coming to the conclusion that the person Karen "saw" in the woods was another one of her fantasies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fantasy

2 of 2

verb

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 fantasy
Noun
Cheri Radke’s cozy fantasy debut explores impostor syndrome by way of an unusual succession crisis on the Isle of Summer. Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026 Méliès would take the artform in a more self-consciously fanciful direction – into science fiction and fantasy. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026 Its most recent acquisition is PrizePicks, the American fantasy sports operator. Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 The reality of maintaining one, though, differs from the fantasy. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fantasy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasy
Noun
  • The dreams that Rice and Jaquez had about bringing an NCAA championship to a program that hadn’t won one required the right pieces, and Betts was the missing ingredient.
    Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Some of her theories apparently came to her in vivid dreams.
    Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • May 21 – June 20 When structure meets imagination, conversations bloom.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Their height and heft frightened and thrilled spectators, earning dinosaurs a permanent place in the public imagination, Coules said.
    Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • If the creation of fiction is a layered endeavor—if premise, plot, style, and so on are to some extent separable—then must all the layers be made by the same individual?
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Every month, Emma Alpern and Jasmine Vojdani recommend new fiction and nonfiction books.
    Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Could one imagine immersive experiences distributed across geographies in ways that connect local nodes of creation in networks that blend physical and virtual presence?
    Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
  • That just felt so, almost traumatizing to even imagine.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • More than a month into open confrontation between Iran, the United States, Israel, and now parts of the Arab Gulf, the illusion of a quick and decisive conflict has collapsed.
    Kazem Kazerounian, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The next mayor will inherit an enormous burden on Day 1 with no room for illusions.
    Bill Conway, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Yet in courts today, those same song lyrics can be presented to a jury as evidence of guilt, casting creativity as a literal confession.
    Ivan J. Bates, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Sunny Rey Azzarito was in the fourth grade and struggling a bit in school when her teacher looked at one of her assignments and saw creativity where someone else may have chosen criticism.
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Ammonia damaged the paper preserving ancient chronicles (letopisi) of tales that served the needs of princes and priests at the expense of those beneath them or at their throats.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The 20-track LP serves as equal parts music and cinema in which Crockett weaves a tale of McLane as a cattle rustler on the run from the law who — eventually — gets his redemption.
    Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Neither is the location of the new stadium ideal -- or what was first envisioned, 12 years ago, as a waterfront facility nearer the Port of Miami or off Biscayne Bay neighboring the Heat arena.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
  • As his profile rose after 2021’s The Man From Waco, which too was initially envisioned as a concept record, Crockett found his crowds especially engaged with his onstage banter.
    Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fantasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasy. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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