as in pipe dream
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 ignis fatuus
Unveiling ignis fatuus: Microlightning between microbubbles.
—
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
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
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignis fatuus
Noun
-
The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by fictional machines like the Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie —- is still mostly a pipe dream.—
Matt O’Brien,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
The rapid normalization of working from home has reconfigured how and where talent operates, offering flexibility that was once a pipe dream.—
Vikram Joshi,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Will a 'red mirage' help Steyer?—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
-
State officials and elections experts reject the allegations as baseless, pointing to California’s generous mail voting rules, laborious signature checks and a predictable ‘red mirage’ that initially favors Republicans.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Additional cast members include Lorenzo James Henrie (Fear the Walking Dead), Lorenzo Richelmy (Netflix's Marco Polo), Vincenzo Nemolato (La chimera), and Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding).—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 May 2026
-
High atop what's known as Northern Kentucky’s Notre-Dame are 58 new terra cotta gargoyles and chimeras watching over the city.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
As the guitar-strumming will-o'-the-wisp Maria von Trapp, Julie Andrews taught us a few of her favorite things.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a seductive delusion to FatFIRE—one that promises the world can be opted out of, if not mastered.—
Joshua Rivera,
Vanity Fair,
8 June 2026
-
One neighbor told the local TV station that Gledhill appeared to suffer from delusions.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The passion for sports is a matter of its unrealities—its past is more myth than history.—
Austin Elias-de Jesus,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
-
The unreality of Lexi’s play gave us a fun-house mirror of the show cast back onto itself.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The heady scent—a mix of white florals, amber, and sandalwood—induces daydreams of tanning on a white-sand beach.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
-
Nina, Karen and Caroline started appearing in my daydreams, full of vigor and life lessons.—
Jennifer Acker,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ignis fatuus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignis%20fatuus. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
