will-o'-the-wisp

noun

Definition of will-o'-the-wispnext
as in pipe dream

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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 will-o'-the-wisp As the guitar-strumming will-o'-the-wisp Maria von Trapp, Julie Andrews taught us a few of her favorite things. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for will-o'-the-wisp
  1. pipe dream
  2. mirage
  3. ignis fatuus
  4. daydream
Noun
  • Without hands-free charging, fully autonomous robotaxi fleets remain a pipe dream.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Although Koerte believes Europe needs to develop greater AI capabilities, complete sovereignty remains a pipe dream.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pipe dream
Noun
  • For others, the deck has been stacked against them for so long that the path to glory is more of a mirage than reality.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Now, the Raiders’ wins so far have come against the lowly Miami Dolphins, Chargers and New Orleans Saints, so this 3-0 start may turn out to be a bit of a mirage.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of mirage
Noun
  • Several sources say ignis fatuus, a spark of swamp gas, is the likely cause of the strange light.
    — Fox News, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2023
  • The story also helped explain ignis fatuus, a natural phenomenon that occurs in marshlands and bogs—such as those in Ireland’s countryside—producing flickering lights as gases from decomposing organic matter combust.
    — National Geographic, National Geographic, 27 Oct. 2020
Definition of ignis fatuus
Noun
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Walking through prewar Berlin, taking in its historic architecture, Susanna daydreams of her native New York, an ever-changing city where buildings are torn down and rebuilt in the blink of an eye.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of daydream

Browse Nearby Words

will-less
will-o'-the-wisp
will-o'-the-wisps
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“Will-o'-the-wisp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/will-o%27-the-wisp. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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