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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of figments
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
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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Saturn, the planet of boundaries, responsibility, and foundations, and Neptune, the planet of dreams, illusions, and spirituality, haven’t met up since 1989.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Our illusions are likely to come into contact with reality today.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As much as with any director of the most intimate personal fictions, Wiseman’s nonfictions could be laid end to end and viewed in continuity, like the story of an extraordinary life.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
-
But these have always been legal fictions.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Your dreams are an act of resistance to those watching at home.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Your dreams are an act of resistance.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And now masked Proud Boys can cosplay their paramilitary fantasies, shatter our Constitutional rights, and disappear humans while the federal government flippantly threatens its citizens with the Insurrection Act and Aliens Enemies Act.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Barbie is a Pisces, after all, so go ahead and embrace your Barbie World fantasies with a head-to-toe pink outfit.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Believe it or not, American free skier Nick Goepper, a three-time Olympic medalist, thinks growing up in Indiana—a location that doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of powdery snow and ski chalets—worked to his advantage.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
-
In thrall to visions of virtual apocalypse, Land soon saw his life fall apart.—
James Duesterberg,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While the story takes place in contemporary times, some of the characters have extraordinary gifts and tell tall tales of a world beyond the realm of most people.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Its accounts of outsize personalities, judges’ infighting, culturally insensitive photo shoots, manipulative producing, network executives betraying producers who in turn betrayed talent—all of this comes standard with tales from the annals of the entertainment industry.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after, the book began to take shape, with new elements often arriving in vivid daydreams and eerie nightmares.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
And like the iconic Orient-Express (whose original route has been revived by Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), the Champagne flutes, suited servers, and glossy design of this locomotive hold a seductive potential for daydreams and drama.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite a challenging 2025 and ongoing price pressures impacting both retailers and consumers, brands are pushing forward with premium fabrics, new fabrications and more directional design statements.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Feb. 2026
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The historic firm, based in Osaka, offers classic sweater silhouettes in high-end fabrications crafted from blends of wool, cashmere, silk and different cotton weights in a broad range of intense colors, from classics to brights, that have retailers coming back season after season.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figments. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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