will-o'-the-wisp

Definition of will-o'-the-wispnext

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
Noun
  • Most people would consider that to be a pipe dream, but Poulakidas didn’t.
    Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The days of a potential merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour seem to be a pipe dream now, especially as LIV stars like Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed come back to their old roots.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The surplus turned out to be a mirage, based on a $165 billion error in revenue estimates over four years.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The film opens with real mirages filmed near Aswan in Egypt, where atmospheric conditions produce optical distortions.
    Lise Pedersen, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Unveiling ignis fatuus: Microlightning between microbubbles.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • 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
  • Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.
    Frank Langfitt, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026

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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 27 Apr. 2026.

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