as in pipe dream
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Recent Examples of ignis fatuus
Several sources say ignis fatuus, a spark of swamp gas, is the likely cause of the strange light.
—
Fox News, 3 Mar. 2023
The story also helped explain ignis fatuus, a natural phenomenon that occurs in marshlands and bogs—such as those in Ireland’s countryside—producing flickering lights as gases from decomposing organic matter combust.
—National Geographic, 27 Oct. 2020
Fox News, 3 Mar. 2023
The story also helped explain ignis fatuus, a natural phenomenon that occurs in marshlands and bogs—such as those in Ireland’s countryside—producing flickering lights as gases from decomposing organic matter combust.
—National Geographic, 27 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignis fatuus
Noun
-
Houston is really high on Udoka, so this may seem like a pipe dream.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
-
Making changes like this can be difficult because estranged parents often don’t realize how important being on the same page is for their children so making such changes seems like a pipe dream.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2025
Noun
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One of the simplest types of these mirages is often seen while driving on a warm or hot sunny day.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Discover Magazine,
28 May 2025
-
Time becomes a desert that stretches out to every horizon, without even the false hope of a mirage to break it up.—
Bryan Walsh,
Vox,
26 May 2025
Noun
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Irrespective of industry, successfully scaling can become a chimera—especially if the temptation (or pressure) to rush creeps in.—
Joy Stevens,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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Yet even as these debates have flowered, the very concept of grand strategy has become a chimera.—
Daniel W. Drezner,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Apr. 2020
Noun
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Valerie often allowed her vanity and delusion to stand in her way, but also has a certain purity in her desire for mainstream success; viewers on the show’s wavelength might alternately cringe, laugh and feel deeply for her over the course of just a few minutes.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
5 June 2025
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Although she was never formally diagnosed, E.A. believes Lewes may have experienced bipolar disorder, marked by episodes of extreme paranoia and delusions, which became more frequent as time went on.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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An eerie sense of unreality runs through The Plague, which premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard sidebar.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
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The movie itself is something of a trip; everything feels coated in a faint, menacing sheen of unreality, as if a slasher movie were just a wild twist or two away.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
Noun
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And so, what was once a lazy, crazy, charming afternoon daydream of a movie is now a frantic, insistent, often unfunny sci-fi comedy.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
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As the narrative unfolds, her mundane tasks take a playful turn, with suggestive dance moves punctuating her daydreams, until Wheeler suddenly appears unannounced, leaving both characters caught in a moment of shy intrigue.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
13 May 2025
Noun
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High ceilings, tall doors, oversized windows, and a herringbone parquet floor with oversized proportions were also key to creating the illusion of extra space.—
Mailin Sophie Zieser,
Architectural Digest,
7 June 2025
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While there is a warming and cooling sensation associated with these products, the ingredients act on nerve endings to create an illusion of hot and cold.—
Novant Health,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ignis fatuus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignis%20fatuus. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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