as in visions
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 dreams
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
Editorial, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pipe dreams
Noun
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Gundogan stands alone as the player who was instrumental in helping crystallise both men’s visions.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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The visions ultimately lead her and Finn to Alpine Lake, a Christian camp located in the Rocky Mountains, where they naturally get stranded during a fierce blizzard.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In times of uncertainty, particularly under the growing threat of totalitarianism, utopian fantasies provide a way to reflect on the situation and, potentially, outline a path toward a positive outcome.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
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Even as the young man attempts to ignore the din of city life outside his window, his fear of losing his vanity is ultimately what disrupts his fantasies.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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What illusions have been too sweet to let go of?—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
19 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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Saft’s decorating dreams began early.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
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His legacy will continue to inspire not only athletes but anyone who has ever been told their dreams were impossible.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
20 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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Ellen retreats to her room and daydreams of her father, who understood his headstrong daughter.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pipe dreams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pipe%20dreams. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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