PHANTASM Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

phantasm

noun

ˈfan-ˌta-zəm

variants also fantasm

Definition of phantasm

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 No one had meant more to Miami during the past three years, devoting themselves to painstakingly lifting a program plump with the phantasm of a reign long past. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026 In times of increasing cynicism and apathy in the zeitgeist, this phantasm extravaganza — at once humorously deadpan in its playful tableaus and poignantly sincere at its emotional core — feels like a breath of fresh air. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for phantasm

Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm

Noun

But recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s oil refineries have led to widespread fuel shortages, shattering the illusion that the consequences of the conflict are far removed from ordinary Russians.

— Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Use your illusion Hancock and his team combined multiple lines of evidence to test their hypothesis that the colorful wing patterns of butterflies served as a form of motion dazzle.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of illusion

Noun

For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
One minute, the stubble field in front of his stand had been empty, and then suddenly, like an apparition, a whitetail buck had appeared.

— Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of apparition

Noun

In the end, injuries not only ended that dream but tanked his case for a third consecutive MVP as well.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
The One Battle After Another star walked the turquoise carpet at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, in a creation from Zuhair Murad’s fall/winter 2026 couture collection that will haunt your dreams in the best way possible.

— Christina Perrier, InStyle, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of dream

Noun

Swift is a ghost of girlfriends past haunting Johnson in the video, sleeping in bed next to her, knocking drinks over to warn her to leave her ominous partner.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
What in the zeitgeist lends itself to this burgeoning fascination with ghosts and the afterlife?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of ghost

Noun

Upstairs, on the top floor, the bar serves vintage hard-to-get champagne and spirits by the glass.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Desperate to regain her dominance while dazzling pageant recruiter Eloise Amponsah (Tony Award winner Patina Miller), who was Miss Ghana 1966, Paulina launches a campaign to crush Ericka’s spirit and dash her chances in the spotlight.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of spirit

Noun

Fadal brought up her own phantom smells during a recent podcast conversation with Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist who’s written about and conducted research on this symptom.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
Both phantoms were packed with thousands of dosimeters, tracking radiation dose over specific phases of the flight rather than just a cumulative total.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of phantom

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“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of phantasm

noun

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