variants
also fantasm
1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
frightened by the phantasms of his own making
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in apparition
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
believed that she'd seen the phantasm of her father on the anniversary of his death
Synonyms & Similar 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 phantasm
But is the gender phantasm as crucial to the global far right as Butler claims?
—
Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Likewise, Poe’s devilish ambiguity, his production of phantasms both real and imagined, undergirds James’s own ventures into the genre.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Those are all real things, not the phantasms of a junk-food loving fourth-grader’s fever dreams.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
And sometimes the phantasms of artificial intelligence can prompt, in the prompter, genuine emotion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Likewise, Poe’s devilish ambiguity, his production of phantasms both real and imagined, undergirds James’s own ventures into the genre.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Those are all real things, not the phantasms of a junk-food loving fourth-grader’s fever dreams.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
And sometimes the phantasms of artificial intelligence can prompt, in the prompter, genuine emotion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm
Noun
-
Oprah loves her designer sweatpant jeans (hello, Rag & Bone), and these Dlooda wide-leg versions deliver the same polished illusion without the splurge.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Miuccia Prada, herself a billionaire, has no illusions that the runway is a space for political grandstanding.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mercury puts on its best evening apparition of 2025 for Northern Hemisphere observers during these two weeks.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
As the 14-year-old child of a poor family in 1858, Saint Bernadette experienced numerous apparitions of a young woman in a cave or grotto, seemingly the Virgin Mary, asking for a chapel to be built on the site.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This will by no means fit into any version of a food pyramid, but my dream dinner involves a bucket of cheese popcorn and a glass of crisp white wine.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Strong foundations can carry big dreams without unnecessary strain.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Paramount+ series, which follows a group of ghosts stuck in purgatory inside their high school, uses its premise — characters tethered to different decades — as both a narrative engine and a musical one.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
-
However, the gap to Arsenal is back up to seven points, below, and in trying eradicate it, City are chasing a ghost.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The peach-plum gradient gown is the creation of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, whose high-fantasy sculptural gowns emphasize movement and eye-tricking form, often to gravity-defying effect.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
More than just a mere tale of medieval heroism, this is a surreal, gorgeous piece of work that challenges preconceptions of fantasy dramas and feels vitally fresh.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This all-day, rain-or-shine celebration will be overflowing with live entertainment, festive food, family fun and plenty of Irish spirit, including special offerings from Guinness and Jameson, who will be onsite with festive surprises.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Older and younger kids can play together, fostering a spirit of collaboration.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
More than masturbatory daydreams, Vladimir inspires our heroine to write with abandon, ignoring professional and personal obligations in service to her muse.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Below, some of the finest, high-quality ruffled bedding around the web for creating the frothy bedscape of your daydreams.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Stygiomedusa gigantea, commonly known as the giant phantom jelly, was filmed at 250 meters below the surface.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Old Town The belltower looms like a phantom.—
Chen Yuhong,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
