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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After escaping the Grabber’s (Ethan Hawke) clutches and putting his killing spree to a permanent end in The Black Phone, Finney investigates a winter camp with his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who’s had visions of the killer stalking three young boys from beyond the grave.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Oct. 2025
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As natural disasters erupt, Virginia flees Detroit with her son Joshua, guided by visions that suggest her child is central to an ancient prophecy.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One of them was Segar, his former coworker, who was in the middle of his workday and didn’t have the bandwidth to engage with Jon’s fantasies about a cataclysmic event.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
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Likewise, be careful about major purchases, because an element of confusion, along with possible deceit (including fantasies of grandeur), might cloud your thinking.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Audience online have embraced the musical's campy humor, jaw-dropping stage illusions and sing-along score, with bootleg of the production going viral on TikTok and YouTube.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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This is a month that asks you to cut through illusions and create a sense of structure where chaos has otherwise ruled the roost.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Such dreams of prosperity are only permitted for so long.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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There's no shortage of viewers who, upon watching the film as a child, saw Dracula in both their nightmares and dreams.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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In the Netflix dramedy Too Much, a brokenhearted American, Jess, makes the move across the pond, inspired in part by daydreams of stately castles, rolling green hills and dashing gentlemen professing their ardent admiration.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pipe dreams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pipe%20dreams. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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