fantasy 1 of 2

variants also phantasy
Definition of fantasynext
1
2
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others the painter gave free rein to his fantasy to create pictures that capture the kind of reality we experience only in our dreams

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in fiction
something that is the product of the imagination we were coming to the conclusion that the person Karen "saw" in the woods was another one of her fantasies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fantasy

2 of 2

verb

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 fantasy
Noun
He’s best known for his Nicolas Cage–starring fantasy thriller Dream Scenario, but this trailer evokes his smaller hit, Sick of Myself, a dark comedy about a narcissistic woman and her equally toxic artist boyfriend. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2026 Some might argue that fantasies, by definition, know no bounds. Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026 People will say they are entitled to their opinion, so that would be a fantasy world. Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 At the same time, long-term relationship expectations demand realistic changes, forcing you to confront where fantasy has replaced structure or mutual responsibility. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fantasy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantasy
Noun
  • Lindsey Vonn was the 13th skier to hit the slopes in the alpine ski women’s downhill at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday and her dreams of powering through a devastating knee injury to make the medal podium came to a crashing halt.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Gary has had civic dreams before.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Now, for the first time, an experiment hints that an ape in captivity can have an imagination.
    Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
  • When Luckman arrived in Chicago, the Bears playbook had hundreds of designs from the T Formation, with hundreds of variations in the playbook and seemingly hundreds more in the imagination.
    CBS News, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • For a generation raised on viral clips of air‑rage fights and customer‑service meltdowns, the quiet order of a Japanese train car—no loud phone calls, no overflowing trash—reads almost like aspirational fiction.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Ginger Strand Ginger Strand is an American author of nonfiction and fiction.
    Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Her bodice-ripping, visually sumptuous version, in theaters Friday, incorporates some essential literary elements, but also imagines what’s in between the lines of Brontë’s writing, including sultry moments between the protagonists.
    Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • From the kitchen comes an equally elegant menu of classics – think gorgeous local steaks, terrines and roasted Amish chicken plated with cockles – imagined with creativity and a deep understanding of European technique seen through a Tennessee lens.
    USA TODAY NETWORK, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • As Nick and Jacki’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
  • This work by Franco-Isreali artist Yorame Mevorach, also known as Oyoram, gives the illusion of swimming along the river’s edge.
    Kasia Dietz, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The ability to make something out of nothing may seem uniquely human — a bedrock of creativity that’s led to new kinds of art, music and more.
    Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Baked sliders, a longtime party favorite, are another game day essential that Neidus said offer room for creativity.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The film vaguely follows the basic outline of the first half of the novel, heavily streamlining the twisted tale of family strife and generational trauma into a more conventional tragic romance centered squarely on Catherine and Heathcliff.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The least satisfying tales involve a group of reasonable counterparties teaming up against a single aggressor, like an Indiana man who’s turned his grandmother’s house into an unauthorized urban farm.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But Haiti failed to hold general elections on Saturday as envisioned a couple of years ago, with gang violence gripping much of the capital and swaths of land in the country's central region.
    EVENS SANON, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Eventually, Menard said, Crusoe envisions having lots of smaller data centers, focused on inference, that will be spread around the country, putting them closer to end users and improving latency.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fantasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantasy. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on fantasy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!