1
as in illusions
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fictions
something that is the product of the imagination
thus far, the invisible human being has been nothing more than a figment of fantasy writers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of figments
That description is essentially true; as a puppet designer and puppeteer, his job entails figuring out how to materialize figments of the imagination.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Boone is relentlessly hounded by figments of his guilty memory, by other ghosts, and by his daughter—all of whom emphasize his nefarious role in delaying action to combat climate change.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
On the live stream, Nacua questioned whether head injuries are real or just figments of the imagination.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Are the protagonist’s past lives real, or just figments of his psychosis?
—Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Boone is relentlessly hounded by figments of his guilty memory, by other ghosts, and by his daughter—all of whom emphasize his nefarious role in delaying action to combat climate change.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
On the live stream, Nacua questioned whether head injuries are real or just figments of the imagination.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Are the protagonist’s past lives real, or just figments of his psychosis?
—Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figments
Noun
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Archaeologists analyze the ancient painters’ creative use of the cave’s spatial definition to tell stories and create illusions of motion.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In 2028, a 22-day fair is scheduled for June 7 to July 4 with a theme of magic and illusions.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The fictions of both films are factually contextualized from the start.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Corporations are legal fictions — a game of pretend in which fictional entities are created, registering with the state.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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And so to watch those guys get drafted, man, and live out a component of their dreams.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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Inspired in part by Gillian Anderson’s compendium of women’s erotic fantasies, Want, as well as Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, Superbloom is, in theory, a manifestation of Ware’s deepest desires.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But some movies, either deliberately or inadvertently, manage to offer glimpses into the future, either through visions of technological advances or predicted social and political trends.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 Apr. 2026
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When citizens insist on shaping the basic terms of social life by appealing to premises that others cannot reasonably be expected to accept—revelation, doctrines of transcendence, private moral visions—the result is not a purer politics but a dangerously brittle one.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Such tales clearly advise against judging people on material criteria, or assuming value based on markers of religion, class and political authority.—
Perin Gürel,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2026
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Someday, Victor Vodnik can regale his three young daughters, Ariel, Rose, and Viviana, with tales about his battles with Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But Morganroth’s previous stops in at least four states and numerous publications were also marked by falsehoods and fabrications about her background, The Denver Post found.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
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As models have grown more complex, some hallucinate with more persuasive fabrications.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figments. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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