as in dreams
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
opening our own restaurant has long been a pipe dream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pipe dreams
Music promoters, both craving the one-upmanship and genuine satisfaction of getting a lucrative band back on a stage, have more money at their disposal than ever before to make their pipe dreams a reality.
—
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
The stalker pipe dreams need to stop here.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 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
Devon Ivie, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
The stalker pipe dreams need to stop here.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pipe dreams
Noun
-
At that moment, her Olympic dreams seemed to be dashed.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
What started as a spontaneous offer between two strangers has turned into a sisterhood between 13 brides — with a single wedding dress helping all of their dreams come true.—
David Begnaud,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Believe it or not, American free skier Nick Goepper, a three-time Olympic medalist, thinks growing up in Indiana—a location that doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of powdery snow and ski chalets—worked to his advantage.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
-
In thrall to visions of virtual apocalypse, Land soon saw his life fall apart.—
James Duesterberg,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rybakina was under more scoreboard pressure in her service games, but Sabalenka’s opportunities were mostly illusions.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Saturn brings accountability, Neptune dissolves illusions and Aries demands action.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And now masked Proud Boys can cosplay their paramilitary fantasies, shatter our Constitutional rights, and disappear humans while the federal government flippantly threatens its citizens with the Insurrection Act and Aliens Enemies Act.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Barbie is a Pisces, after all, so go ahead and embrace your Barbie World fantasies with a head-to-toe pink outfit.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after, the book began to take shape, with new elements often arriving in vivid daydreams and eerie nightmares.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
And like the iconic Orient-Express (whose original route has been revived by Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), the Champagne flutes, suited servers, and glossy design of this locomotive hold a seductive potential for daydreams and drama.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pipe dreams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pipe%20dreams. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
