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
  • Even a few short years ago, the possibility of another Alabama Shakes album sounded like a pipe dream.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Getting losses down is of paramount importance to those clubs further down the pyramid, where Premier League riches are so far out of reach as to be a pipe dream.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pipe dream
Noun
  • Many travel editors are familiar with the landing at London City Airport, too, where the glittering city skyline shows itself like a mirage after high-altitude journeys.
    — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The surplus turned out to be a mirage based on what officials later acknowledged was a $165 billion error in revenue estimates.
    — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 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
  • And amidst the momentum of reverie, there’s the line ‘Blink at the light and hope to survive,’ because daydreams in a fascist state can be scary too.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026
  • One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026
Definition of daydream

Browse Nearby Words

will-less
will-o'-the-wisp
will-o'-the-wisps
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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 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on will-o'-the-wisp

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about will-o'-the-wisp

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