as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
phantasmal fears that have prevented her from living a normal life
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Recent Examples of phantasmal
Beyond that, all apparent structures are merely phantasmal.
—
Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasmal
Adjective
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Bensley infuses his design with imaginary stories—in this case about adventurers, their steamer trunks emblazoned with fictitious initials.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Mom screams at Jane for being too old to have imaginary friends.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His wife, played by Sedgwick, is his long-time star; Sosie and Travis play the fictional filmmaker’s kids, both of whom are working on his latest shoot in rural Texas.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2026
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The fictional ’90s sitcom star played by Lisa Kudrow has been around for three major shifts in the television industry.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Set on a remote Scottish island, the film follows siblings Isla (Rankin) and Sandy (O’Rourke), who spend their days hunting birds, conversing with mythical beings, and fiercely fending off outsiders.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
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In contrast to other examples of Greek temple art and even other parts of the Parthenon, where mythic gods and heroes predominate, the frieze shows everyday mortals, perhaps even the contemporaries of those who carved it and viewed it.—
James Romm,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As fictitious as living forever.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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Bensley infuses his design with imaginary stories—in this case about adventurers, their steamer trunks emblazoned with fictitious initials.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Peter [Merry] likes to use is that, when a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly, new ‘imaginal cells’ emerge.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Aug. 2025
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With one technique, for example—called imaginal exposure—you might be asked to visualize the process of going to the airport, boarding the plane, and experiencing a bad bout of turbulence.—
Angela Haupt,
TIME,
10 May 2024
Adjective
-
The title track is simply a recitation of imagined Spotify playlists, and once the joke lands we’re not left with much.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
25 Mar. 2026
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The campaign, which started in 2024, is part of the zoo's overall goal to fund a world-class aquarium, a larger education center and a re-imagined butterfly garden at the Great Plains Zoo campus.—
Shelly Conlon,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phantasmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasmal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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