variants
also fantasm
1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
frightened by the phantasms of his own making
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in apparition
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
believed that she'd seen the phantasm of her father on the anniversary of his death
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 phantasm
And sometimes the phantasms of artificial intelligence can prompt, in the prompter, genuine emotion.
—
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
But eventually, the duo turned the phantasm into solid logic.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2021
Southern lawmakers baselessly claimed Black men were lynched for raping White women -- a phantasm that still haunts Black men -- and asserted laws governing lynchings were best left to the states.
—Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN, 27 May 2021
The album, produced by pop artisan Greg Kurstin (Adele, Paul McCartney), is a conceptual rumination on these apocalyptic times, from war to salvation with a sprinkle of biblical phantasm.
—Steven J. Horowitz, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
But eventually, the duo turned the phantasm into solid logic.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2021
Southern lawmakers baselessly claimed Black men were lynched for raping White women -- a phantasm that still haunts Black men -- and asserted laws governing lynchings were best left to the states.
—Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN, 27 May 2021
The album, produced by pop artisan Greg Kurstin (Adele, Paul McCartney), is a conceptual rumination on these apocalyptic times, from war to salvation with a sprinkle of biblical phantasm.
—Steven J. Horowitz, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm
Noun
-
Of course, such high-tech innovations, providing the illusion of a social environment, have both pluses and minuses.—
Alan Lightman
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Shatter your illusions of love?—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Zoo will be joined by a second new maze based on the Bloody Mary apparition who can be summoned by anyone who turns out the lights and says her name into a mirror three times.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Ahead of the 500-year anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Tepeyac, Mexico, the sculpture is embarking on a worldwide tour, with visits scheduled to Colombia, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, among other places.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The dream drive package includes private transfer to The Barn, Napa Valley Car Club's exclusive clubhouse, post-drive drinks and stories and return transfer.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
That dream never manifested, and eventually, the republican government’s international legitimacy was transferred to the surging mainland.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The bright orange bucket, sporting Home Depot's logo, features jack-o'-lanterns, bats, ghosts, spiders and spiderwebs.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The ghosts of the Federal Theatre still haunt the 102-year-old movie house, and David Lindoerfer has seen them.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Lerner is clear that the vision goes beyond one platform.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Of course, this vision also pushes technology to adapt in ways that could benefit life on Earth.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Future Antarctic and radio-neutrino arrays will decide if ANITA glimpsed a phantom or a frontier.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Because contemporary phantoms of Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and Rolex are expertly constructed to entice even the most discerning eye, provenance is crucial.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The music business, theater, Hollywood — these are obvious places to find folks who live in constant delusion, not to mention places Guest was already well familiar with.—
Anne Victoria Clark,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Notably, Illinois banned AI therapy after research found chatbot therapists fuel delusions, and California is close to becoming the first state to restrict companion bots to protect kids.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In rare cases, sleepers gain insight into the unreality of their dreams from within the dream itself.—
Rachel Barr,
Big Think,
20 Aug. 2025
-
For Leader, this hammers home the unreality of a studio without an intense marketing machine around it.—
Ryan Gaur,
IndieWire,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share