1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
unable to find any tracks in the snow the next morning, I was forced to conclude that the shadowy figure had been a figment of my imagination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination
thus far, the invisible human being has been nothing more than a figment of fantasy writers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 figment
That practice remained with Cronin over the next six months, providing a figment to cling to as Dent failed to re-enact that greatness.
—
Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
Excusing those two flickers of broken hegemony, the WSL’s highest echelon has been an unassailable strongbox, a figment of the rest of the table’s imagination.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Soon, though, her world is turned upside down by an unsettling and persistent stalker — or just a figment of her own fracturing psyche.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
In the show, it is revealed that Slater's character is actually a figment of Elliot's imagination, and is his deceased father.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figment
Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
Excusing those two flickers of broken hegemony, the WSL’s highest echelon has been an unassailable strongbox, a figment of the rest of the table’s imagination.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Soon, though, her world is turned upside down by an unsettling and persistent stalker — or just a figment of her own fracturing psyche.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
In the show, it is revealed that Slater's character is actually a figment of Elliot's imagination, and is his deceased father.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figment
Noun
-
But the illusion shatters when a stranger on the street recognizes the dog… as HER boyfriend Danny’s dog.—
William Earl,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
This week, even Penny’s exceptionalism is revealed to be an illusion.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hokum gives you a taste of one tormented scribe’s fiction before introducing you to the man behind the keyboard.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The director’s 2024 fiction project In Her Place also is streaming on Netflix.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the first few episodes of Season 3, Cassie was seen pursuing a career on OnlyFans in order to save money for the wedding of her dreams.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 May 2026
-
Realization of childhood dreams can be that way, though.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Lush, dark wood shelving and the rolling library ladder of every bookish person's dreams complete the fantasy.—
Nathanael Gassett,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Yet this is precisely the idea that the Enhanced Games is peddling—the fantasy that what Proud or Collins takes to break a world record, at a different dose, might make a man in his 70s more mobile, energized, and maybe even hotter.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My fabrication background spans machining, CNC programming, welding, and brazing.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
-
The report also considers which shades best complement the drapey, lightweight fabrications gaining traction in the market.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Arve Henriksen’s trumpet is a celestial contrast to the vocals’ groundedness, a floater at the edge of the song’s smoky peripheral vision.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
-
What do any of these throwaway lines actually illustrate about Homelander’s project of using the entertainment industry to sell his traditionalist vision of America?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The most obvious answer was that the story, on a deeper level, needed to be timeless, a tale of a desperate person facing moral dilemmas of increasing extremity while trying to hold fast to their values.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
The children participated in Disney+'s 2025 documentary Lost in the Jungle, which recounted their tale of survival, per The New York Times.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figment. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
