as in imagining
to form a mental picture of
all those lottery players fantasizing themselves as living in extravagant luxury
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Recent Examples of fantasizing
Kudrow, who starred as the free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, said the writers reprimanded the cast for forgetting lines and spent their off-hours fantasizing about her female co-stars.
—
Jack Dunn, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026
That’s not the same as fantasizing about Chinese lifestyles from afar.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Hitler spent most of his time not working or planning or leading but fantasizing about architecture.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Then comes making promises and fantasizing about a future together.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 21 Apr. 2026
After the fundraiser, sweet young couple Austin (Charles Melton) and Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) are making out by the tennis courts, fantasizing about one day having a family, when their boss, Janet (Michole Briana White), asks them to drop off Josh’s wallet at his house.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Hedda’s romantic picture — of Lovborg dying magnificently, with Dionysian vine leaves in his hairs, from a bullet of one of her own guns — smacks of the same literary cliches that has Emma fantasizing about a torchlight wedding at midnight.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
When her daughter was born in December, Ivanova called her Yustyna – the name the couple picked together when fantasizing about having children.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Storylines like this, in our age of escalating eat-the-rich sentiment, allow viewers to vicariously enjoy beautiful homes and high-maintenance bodies while also fantasizing about (or, for more comfortable audiences, safely exploring fears of) class warfare.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Jack Dunn, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026
That’s not the same as fantasizing about Chinese lifestyles from afar.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Hitler spent most of his time not working or planning or leading but fantasizing about architecture.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Then comes making promises and fantasizing about a future together.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 21 Apr. 2026
After the fundraiser, sweet young couple Austin (Charles Melton) and Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) are making out by the tennis courts, fantasizing about one day having a family, when their boss, Janet (Michole Briana White), asks them to drop off Josh’s wallet at his house.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Hedda’s romantic picture — of Lovborg dying magnificently, with Dionysian vine leaves in his hairs, from a bullet of one of her own guns — smacks of the same literary cliches that has Emma fantasizing about a torchlight wedding at midnight.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
When her daughter was born in December, Ivanova called her Yustyna – the name the couple picked together when fantasizing about having children.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Storylines like this, in our age of escalating eat-the-rich sentiment, allow viewers to vicariously enjoy beautiful homes and high-maintenance bodies while also fantasizing about (or, for more comfortable audiences, safely exploring fears of) class warfare.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasizing
Verb
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My own research in the Princeton Music Cognition Lab peels back the everyday experience of imagining something while listening to music to identify a striking case of this collision between the individual and the collective.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Continuously setting industry standards and re-imagining what cruise travel can be, the company manages to maintain its Dutch roots and history while keeping a firm grasp on modern travel trends.—
Claudia Alarcón,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The 36-year-old blueliner heads into the Ducks’ second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights envisioning the possibility of a playoff run.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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In 1866, Howells had been able to recognize the connection between ending slavery, envisioning equality, and the broadest expression of the American idea.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Every kid grows up dreaming of playing on their hometown team in a big playoff game, stepping up in the most crucial of moments.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
Eric Nadel grew up in Brooklyn dreaming of becoming the voice of the Rangers.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Andy Mitten recently re-completed ‘the 92’ — that is seeing a game at all the current football grounds in England’s top four tiers.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Trump had expressed optimism to the Washington Examiner about seeing the bill on his desk this week.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
20 May 2026
Verb
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When picturing a predator, most people envision an animal with immense speed, sharp teeth or deadly venom.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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The test case—picturing a cow doing ballet—produces a smug bovine pirouetting.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fantasizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasizing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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