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
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Recent Examples of phantasm
But is the gender phantasm as crucial to the global far right as Butler claims?
—
Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Likewise, Poe’s devilish ambiguity, his production of phantasms both real and imagined, undergirds James’s own ventures into the genre.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Those are all real things, not the phantasms of a junk-food loving fourth-grader’s fever dreams.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
And sometimes the phantasms of artificial intelligence can prompt, in the prompter, genuine emotion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Likewise, Poe’s devilish ambiguity, his production of phantasms both real and imagined, undergirds James’s own ventures into the genre.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Those are all real things, not the phantasms of a junk-food loving fourth-grader’s fever dreams.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
And sometimes the phantasms of artificial intelligence can prompt, in the prompter, genuine emotion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm
Noun
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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
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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
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Juggling demanding apparitions alongside staff burnout, family pressures and a coworker who seems to know more about her than expected, the series grounds its supernatural premise in the cultural specificity of the Filipino healthcare experience.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
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An apparition will appear before us.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Gary has had civic dreams before.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the book, the trope is introduced when Lockwood sleeps in Catherine’s childhood bed and is visited by her girl-ghost wandering the moors, demanding to be let in.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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The show’s greatest strength was never just the jump scares or the hidden ghosts tucked into background shots.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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With the help of Mariah Carey, the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony will be a sweet, sweet fantasy.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Feb. 2026
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Left for dead by most fantasy players, CMC was a man on a mission.—
Bill Reinhard,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To see him in such high spirits, seemingly not dampened by being rested for the final half-hour as Chelsea continue to manage his minutes, was a rare treat.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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The spirit and the symbolism were, at times, undecipherable.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Shortly after, the book began to take shape, with new elements often arriving in vivid daydreams and eerie nightmares.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
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And like the iconic Orient-Express (whose original route has been revived by Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), the Champagne flutes, suited servers, and glossy design of this locomotive hold a seductive potential for daydreams and drama.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Stygiomedusa gigantea, commonly known as the giant phantom jelly, was filmed at 250 meters below the surface.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
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Old Town The belltower looms like a phantom.—
Chen Yuhong,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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