figments

noun

plural of figment
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

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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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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 figments Pína and Hawk mysteriously slip out while Joe and Angela are in the kitchen, suggesting that the adventurous lovemakers may have just been figments of their imagination. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figments
  1. illusions
  2. fictions
  3. dreams
  4. fantasies
  5. visions
  6. tales
  7. daydreams
  8. fabrications
Noun
  • Their fourth-quarter magic is gone, replaced by fourth-quarter illusions.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Cognitive symptoms could include illusions or hallucinations — some patients report sensing a shadowy figure nearby — and difficulties with problem solving and navigation.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusions
Noun
  • This multiversal collapse not only erodes the walls dividing fictions but also reconfigures the interface between fiction and reality.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Over time, writers offered up fictions to fill in the gaps of the story.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of fictions
Noun
  • Evidence remains mixed, and dreams could also be an experiential by-product of useful sleeping-brain activity, rather than an adaptation with its own job description.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026
  • This is the state that Haley Stevens has claimed to literally see in her dreams.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of dreams
Noun
  • The Cybertruck was a car built for the paranoid fantasies that have gripped so much of a country destabilized by generations of economic theft.
    — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Gilded Age’s third season and fourth-season premiere have spent a significant amount of time spinning cotton-candy fantasies of romance.
    — The Editors, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of fantasies
Noun
  • Whether such an imbalance can lead to anything sustainable for a team with visions beyond this uneven start is one thing.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Moreover, Shortreed noted that Disney’s collaborations showcase a merging of creative visions while focusing on craftsmanship and storytelling.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of visions
Noun
  • Amused, the actor offered a gentle lesson in mixing the perfect vodka and orange juice—just one of countless tales this legendary hotel has collected over nearly a century.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • As always, a conversation with Moby is a fascinating journey, from lessons on fame to tales of hanging with David Bowie and Lou Reed.
    — Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of tales
Noun
  • This helps warm up the imagination; daydreams, nightmares are easy ways in.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of daydreams
Noun
  • The best looks of the week embraced a decidedly sexier slant, where skin-flashing silhouettes and sheer fabrications had one thinking that slinky summer style was still in full effect.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
  • FiftyPlusOne included the group’s data in its polling averages, but found evidence of fabrications.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fabrications

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figment
figments
figs
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Cite this Entry

“Figments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figments. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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