as in pipe dream
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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
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for will-o'-the-wisp
Noun
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Some skeptics view the idea as a pipe dream in tough fiscal times when the federal government is spending billions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the war in Iran.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2026
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When Koy was moving up the comedy ranks under his real name Joseph Glenn Herbert, the thought of calling himself a comedian felt like a pipe dream.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Here, the mirage dissolved just as quickly as it had been conjured.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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This does not disprove the studies on New York or New Jersey that showed the opposite, just as these do not prove that the phenomenon in California must be a mirage.—
Christopher Marquis,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Unveiling ignis fatuus: Microlightning between microbubbles.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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More than masturbatory daydreams, Vladimir inspires our heroine to write with abandon, ignoring professional and personal obligations in service to her muse.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
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Below, some of the finest, high-quality ruffled bedding around the web for creating the frothy bedscape of your daydreams.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Will-o'-the-wisp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/will-o%27-the-wisp. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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