as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
the company claimed that the only hazards involving its product were the phantom dangers created by consumer groups
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
Halloween is supposed to be a time when phantoms return to walk among us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of phantom
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Through the striking comparison of yesterday’s expectations and the mundane reality of those who were born and raised in the shadow of a phantom project, Rosario Minervini performs a dissection of clinical precision of the delays that have weighed down Italy’s collective psyche over time.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Gives himself entirely to the race, shoots like a phantom up through the opening and then stands panting in the garret, completely motionless, while his eyes become accustomed to the change of light.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phantom
Adjective
Then there's SpongeBob SquarePants, whose latest movie finds the iconic character venturing to the creepy Underworld with a dastardly phantom pirate.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Through the striking comparison of yesterday’s expectations and the mundane reality of those who were born and raised in the shadow of a phantom project, Rosario Minervini performs a dissection of clinical precision of the delays that have weighed down Italy’s collective psyche over time.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
Investigators said the resident was experiencing excruciating pain from a hernia, phantom leg syndrome and nerve damage from diabetes.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Gives himself entirely to the race, shoots like a phantom up through the opening and then stands panting in the garret, completely motionless, while his eyes become accustomed to the change of light.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for phantom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantom
Adjective
-
And so the super, super devoted fans really do know each other and really are jockeying with each other for position in a way that feels both real and imaginary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
No borders and a thin blue line Viewing the Earth from space, White highlights, drives home that the borders that mark our maps are largely imaginary.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The game went to extras after the Red Sox couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth, but after Garrett Whitlock sent the Tigers down 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th, Boston only needed a base hit with the game-winning ghost runner starting the inning at second base.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Investigators allege Gonzalez wrote checks to herself from HOA accounts over an extended period and concealed the thefts by creating fictitious invoices and false ledger entries.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
One requires election records to be maintained for 22 months, while the other prohibits procuring, casting or tabulating false, fictitious or fraudulent ballots.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 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
-
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
Adjective
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Gemmill echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the priority is maintaining the realism of the show, which centers on a fictional hospital in Pittsburgh.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Then again, an especially good fictional song can come to feel more real than its story of origin.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The days of the secluded mathematician chalking up a blackboard have largely given way to a collaborative spirit as math has become increasingly technical.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Beyond the family drama, the play also expands into something mythic — that they are all connected not only across generations, but through a deeper ancestral line tied to an African king (Chat Atkins plays both early ancestors, Peter and the King).—
Amy Reyes,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The truly mythic figures are the ones with wide-reaching influence—teaching other cooks, breaking new ground, and pushing the regional traditions forward.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of small neighborhood stores with limited inventory, Marcus and Blank imagined warehouse-sized spaces filled with everything homeowners or contractors might need — from lumber and drywall to appliances and lighting.—
Alexandria Mansfield,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Piech’s experience suggests that Sora videos could activate spatial memory, meaning that Sora videos also tripped up the brain’s more fundamental systems for sorting real from imagined.—
Tim Requarth,
Longreads,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phantom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantom. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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