variants
also fantasms
1
as in illusions
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 apparitions
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasms
Noun
-
There’s now no mainstream because there are now fewer illusions, both regarding the public and regarding what goes on behind the scenes; the transparency and the resulting scrutiny that extend to the economics and social life of movies extend to the art of cinema as well.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026 -
Instead, Angine de Poitrine are more like Meshuggah or Dawn of Midi, establishing a meter and then creating rhythmic illusions using creative bursts of syncopation.—
Christopher R. Weingarten,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Those themes are alive here, as the ghosts who visit Depp’s Scrooge are intricate, terrifying apparitions not suitable for the whole family.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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But he’s journeyed to Lourdes and Our Lady of Guadalupe, both of which the Vatican has officially recognized as supernatural Marian apparitions.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But some movies, either deliberately or inadvertently, manage to offer glimpses into the future, either through visions of technological advances or predicted social and political trends.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 Apr. 2026
-
When citizens insist on shaping the basic terms of social life by appealing to premises that others cannot reasonably be expected to accept—revelation, doctrines of transcendence, private moral visions—the result is not a purer politics but a dangerously brittle one.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Customized services from the building’s concierge available to all include events such as wine and spirits tastings that will bring neighbors together.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
19 Apr. 2026
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The inclement weather was a factor early with slick footballs impacting the passing game, but the group’s spirits remained high.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The program has accumulated nearly $80 million to support their college and career dreams.—
Debra-Ellen Glickstein,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For aspiring writers scrolling through deal announcements on industry sites or social media, those vague labels can fuel both dreams and misconceptions.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Always fact check those ghosts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
His boldest innovation is to invoke not past glories but past disasters, summoning the ghosts of the United States’ catastrophic interventions in Iraq.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Phones would already be ringing in the concrete innards of One Police Plaza, and every crank in the New York City area would be busy pouring out their darkest fantasies.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The dream targets are Boston’s Brad Stevens and Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti, but those are fantasies.—
Mac Engel
April 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On this play for the third out in the second inning, Tatis was battling the shadows and took a step back before running up and making a sliding catch.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The short answer is that a wide gulf exists between rumor and fact and Swalwell lurked in that gray space, living and thriving in the shadows between provability and denial.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Phantasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasms. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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