variants
or phantasmagorical
as in hallucinatory
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Recent Examples of phantasmagoric
Right around that time, the Venice Film Festival saw Mamoru Hosoda’s anime epic Scarlet, in which the Danish prince became an ass-kicking Danish princess consigned to a hellish and phantasmagoric underworld.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
The action is punctuated by flash-frame collages that bring earlier and later observations together in a tumble of associations and hint at the drama’s mystical, phantasmagorical essence.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Today, the public district collection comprises some 35 large-scale murals, sculptures and installations, including the phantasmagoric exterior of its Museum Garage.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
The Land of Spooks is a phantasmagorical blend of twisting gothic spires, impossible land formations, and disconcerting expressionist proportions.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2025
As the two keepers' accelerating madness batters their already uneasy relationship, the film becomes a phantasmagorical endurance test, with the two antagonistic leads hurling themselves against their tight confinement.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
The action is punctuated by flash-frame collages that bring earlier and later observations together in a tumble of associations and hint at the drama’s mystical, phantasmagorical essence.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Today, the public district collection comprises some 35 large-scale murals, sculptures and installations, including the phantasmagoric exterior of its Museum Garage.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
The Land of Spooks is a phantasmagorical blend of twisting gothic spires, impossible land formations, and disconcerting expressionist proportions.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2025
As the two keepers' accelerating madness batters their already uneasy relationship, the film becomes a phantasmagorical endurance test, with the two antagonistic leads hurling themselves against their tight confinement.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasmagoric
Adjective
-
Experts say the directive could expedite studies on how psychedelic and hallucinatory drugs such as MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine may be useful in medicine.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Scenic designer Beowulf Boritt’s quaint tearoom seems both real and hallucinatory, with a melancholy rain pouring down in the background.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Elaborate stages are built for the camera close-ups as much as the crowd, often featuring prefab cinematic interludes, ornately detailed costumes, titillating dance moves and surreal, maximalist graphics.—
Andrea Domanick,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The White House press briefing room took on a surreal appearance as the speakers and interrogators dressed in tuxedoes and evening gowns for one of the most elegant and anticipated parties of the year became a crime scene instead.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The idea that transparency offers a route to closure is already proving illusory.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Its sense of one of the most famous buildings in world history is romantic, fantasy filled and illusory.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If consequences are optional, deterrence is imaginary.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
As Siâvash increasingly retreats into imaginary characters, the documentary traces a sibling relationship shaped and strained by displacement, set against a backdrop of escalating tension between Iran and the United States that carries personal consequences for both subjects.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Apex, which primarily consists of its two main characters chasing each other around the fictional Wandarra National Park on location in the real Australian Blue Mountains, is more focused in action than in psychological nuance.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Some rappers have begun directly attesting to the fictional nature of their music.—
Maria Sherman,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond that, all apparent structures are merely phantasmal.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The moment that lingered came later, when the (sadly fictitious) films of William Harbeck brought me out onto the open deck at dusk.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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In those previous incidents, charges were either not pursued by the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, or were dismissed during the criminal proceedings in a handful of cases involving assault, disorderly conduct, drug possession, and possession of a fictitious identification card.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The treatment involves reengineering T cells—a type of immune defender—into chimeric antigen receptor T cells (hence, CAR-T) that can kill other cells of scientists’ choosing.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
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The German physician-scientist could produce the cells — chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs — at his institution, which was half the battle.—
Isabella Cueto,
STAT,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phantasmagoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasmagoric. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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