phantasms

noun

variants also fantasms
plural of phantasm
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

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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
  1. illusions
  2. apparitions
  3. visions
  4. spirits
  5. dreams
  6. ghosts
  7. fantasies
  8. shadows
Noun
  • Every Saturday morning, about 190 starry-eyed students ages 10 to 18 attend classes in everything from puppetry, mime and clowning to juggling, card tricks, illusions, mentalism, stage magic, theater production and escapology.
    — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusions
Noun
  • The location was a former sugarcane plantation notorious for cruelty, and accounts of apparitions in the water are a reminder of this history.
    — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of apparitions
Noun
  • Some opening day effects are long gone, such as the illusion created by actual shifting doors at the start of the attraction, or visions of tumbling rubble near its beginning.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Polls now show the two running neck-and-neck in a race marked by sharply different visions for Brazil’s economy, security and place in the world.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of visions
Noun
  • The week will start dry and warmer than normal, but rain chances return Tuesday and could dampen Halloween spirits, with a 40% chance of rain Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • As the Commander of the crew, my main responsibilities were to make sure the crew was safe, in good health and spirits, getting along well and on top of their work.
    — Michaela Musilova, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • Dellucci and his teammates had fulfilled their personal dreams and made history as the fastest franchise to win a World Series.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The name draws on rapid eye movement, the stage of sleep associated with vivid dreams.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of dreams
Noun
  • The runway ghosts This shift in Halloween’s long-term relevance has been dominated by the vintage sector as gay Halloween ups the caliber of IYKYK references.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In 2026, the gemlike Brooklyn venue lent Kushner’s project a magical quality, turning the audience into ghosts from the future, eavesdropping on the fall of the Weimar Republic but unable to intervene.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of ghosts
Noun
  • Though Klum sat in the makeup chair for nine hours to fulfill her reptilian fantasies, the highlight of her costume were the mechanical snakes on her head.
    — Lynsey Eidell, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In this particular love club, some fantasies really do come true.
    — Megan O’Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fantasies
Noun
  • Visions, enhanced with shadows and emotion, came to life on marble through sketching the stone and chiseling and carving entirely by hand.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
  • This refusal to look directly at the shadows is all the more aggravating given how often The Mosquito Bowl pats itself on the back for being clear-eyed.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of shadows
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.

Browse Nearby Words

phantasmic
phantasms
phantom
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Cite this Entry

“Phantasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasms. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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