as in dream
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
opening our own restaurant has long been a pipe dream
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Recent Examples of pipe dream
Passive income that scales is a practical strategy, not a pipe dream.
—
Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Expecting 100 18-to-22-year-olds of varied maturity to offer consistent output from week to week is a pipe dream.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The good news is that obtaining an affordable mortgage isn’t a pipe dream.
—Jason Peters, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
The idea that renewables alone can power the American economy is nonsense given the current technology, green pipe dreams notwithstanding.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pipe dream
Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Expecting 100 18-to-22-year-olds of varied maturity to offer consistent output from week to week is a pipe dream.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The good news is that obtaining an affordable mortgage isn’t a pipe dream.
—Jason Peters, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
The idea that renewables alone can power the American economy is nonsense given the current technology, green pipe dreams notwithstanding.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pipe dream
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pipe dream
Noun
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Though her identity is not at first known to Benedict, the woman turns out to be Sophie Baek, a secretive maid with big dreams.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
13 Oct. 2025
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With each brick laid at The Site, The Toy will document dad’s decades-long dream.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Inspired by mirrors, which reflect reality while simultaneously generating illusion, the collection explored the tension between the two.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
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Her research examines people’s beliefs about what others think of them, including illusions and biases that can interfere with social connection, and interventions to improve people’s social lives.—
Maya Rossignac-Milon
Erica Boothby,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In pieces on patriotism as a kind of madness, on the long history of Polish and Russian colonizations and cultural appropriations of Ukraine, on the ways communities fantasize and share their daydreams, and others, Janion creates wormholes between past and present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
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The series can feel like a collective daydream.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And Eggar sang and danced alongside Rex Harrison in Doctor Dolittle (1967), the musical fantasy about a guy who can talk to the animals.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
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Good Fortune may be a comedy with a fantasy twist, but its watches give it weight and texture.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The documentary will trace Suzuki’s singular vision through rare archival material, interviews with Suzuki himself, his regular leading man Joe Shishido, and longtime production designer Takeo Kimura, alongside contemporary directors inspired by his work.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
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This season, fluorescent pink, blue and white formed a rational yet romantic palette — a vision of a young schoolgirl poised to step into the real world.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pipe dream.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pipe%20dream. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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