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 Professional Women’s Hockey League was but a pipe dream in February 2022 when Kendall Coyne Schofield emphatically declared the urgency needed to address a fractured sport with unrealized potential.—
John Wawrow,
Twin Cities,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Launched at the Expo 2025 Osaka last year, what seemed like a pipe dream destined for a 2050 debut, is now expected to have a prototype ready decades ahead of schedule—with the first edition to launch in just four years.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But that data alone is a mirage, housing experts say.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The combined haul of honours — Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao (League) Cup — is a mirage.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Look behind that curtain and see that the great and powerful Oz is a chimera.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, an animal advocacy organization, argued that if such chimeras gained humanlike awareness, they should be treated as human research subjects.—
Monika Piotrowska,
The Conversation,
8 Dec. 2025
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
-
So the dreams — or delusions — of past officials proved false.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Described as more of a tonal companion to The Worm than a direct continuation, The Answerers is equal parts existential thriller and absurdist comedy, exploring belief, delusion and the human need for meaning in an increasingly turbulent modern world.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To hear about a mass shooting in another city is to feel one is at the periphery of ongoing history; but perversely, to live near the site of a shooting is to feel nothing has changed except that unreality has come closer.—
Karan Mahajan,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
-
In giving each of its characters new foils, the unreality of the show finally takes off.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Ignis fatuus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignis%20fatuus. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
