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
But Rhaenyra’s discomfort has provided an invigorating change of pace and tone for a typical fantasy epic. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 Furious, Gail travels to Hollywood to pursue her own fantasy lay, Jon Hamm. Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 July 2026 Twilight fans can explore the real town of Forks, La Push Beach, and other iconic locations mentioned in the famous fantasy series. Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026 Great casting can make a show that much more revealing, and the guys walking it can help sell the fantasy on offer. Max Berlinger, Vogue, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fantasy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasy
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
Noun
  • The books give very small children pure possession of some of the places their imaginations most like to wander, with a palm tree and a boat for their island, a barn and a pile of hay for their farm, rocks and a bridge for their forest.
    Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
  • During the session, Simon Morris, VP of International Marketing at Adobe, and creator Brandon Baum discussed how AI can serve as a creative partner without replacing the imagination, judgment, and lived experience behind the work.
    C200, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • The obvious gem of the collection is the attention-getting title story, about the Canadian Nobel laureate Alice Munro, who died in 2024 — and whose complex, layered short fiction Aviv admires.
    Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • If one or two other states matched our output, imagine the boasting Trump could do, legitimately, about the economy.
    Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • One is to look for hypothetical superstructures called Dyson spheres, which were a familiar concept to Kardashev as they had been imagined by American physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960.
    Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
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
Noun
  • Aguirre removed Quiñones in favor or taller options, but Mexico never recovered from the loss of offensive creativity.
    Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • This is a special week to focus upon your heart’s desires, creativity, and romantic world.
    Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • The agonizing legal circus surrounding Sumner Redstone’s final years at Paramount/Viacom is a sobering cautionary tale.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 6 July 2026
  • The past few summers have seen nightmare tales from heatwaves in Europe — the continent with the fastest-rising temperatures under global warming.
    Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • Arsenia envisions a yearlong series of programs recognizing Black architects, scientists, musicians and artists while exploring the people whose contributions helped build both Greenwood Baptist Church and the city around it.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
  • Continental Divide excursions, ghost tours, and hot springs experiences were not services the company originally envisioned, yet Roppel adds that customer demand made the opportunity clear.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 6 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fantasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasy. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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