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
No one had meant more to Miami during the past three years, devoting themselves to painstakingly lifting a program plump with the phantasm of a reign long past.
—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
In times of increasing cynicism and apathy in the zeitgeist, this phantasm extravaganza — at once humorously deadpan in its playful tableaus and poignantly sincere at its emotional core — feels like a breath of fresh air.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
In times of increasing cynicism and apathy in the zeitgeist, this phantasm extravaganza — at once humorously deadpan in its playful tableaus and poignantly sincere at its emotional core — feels like a breath of fresh air.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for phantasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm
Noun
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His update on the C-cut began just below the chin, with extra lift at the roots and inward-curving lengths that narrowed toward the ends to create the illusion of a heart.
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Following the fall of Poland in September 1939, and before Germany invaded Denmark and Norway in April 1940, the absence of sustained military operations created the illusion of normalcy.
Noun
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Reports of strange sounds, apparitions, and unexplained encounters continue to attract visitors.
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Why then, when discussing body image after weight changes, is our culture reaching for the language of vexing apparitions and death?
Noun
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Destinations that combine crystal-clear seas, warm sand tones and unspoilt scenery consistently stand out as the places people most dream about visiting.
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Let’s travel path two and figure out how this career part timer doesn’t have to put the rest of their life on hold while the dream career is still TBD.
Noun
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The same applies to the Lake of Tears, which seemed really important when Jim’s ghost showed up to tell Ethan to find it.
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The English have to contend with not only the ghost of Maradona’s two goals, but also the altitude in Mexico City, which is about 7,350 feet above sea level.
Noun
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Possibly the biggest Korean release of the summer, this dark fantasy historical thriller stars Nam Joo-hyuk as Gu-cheon, a man who can traverse the world of ghosts, alongside Roh Yoon-seo as Saeng-gang, a court lady carrying a dangerous secret.
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Sometimes that player fantasy can be expressed through a simple toy that just feels good, briefly.
Noun
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If American music in 1976 represented a collective, inquisitive, inventive American spirit of discovery, the semiquincentennial in the age of social media has become more about the individual identity.
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The spirit of a '90s summer vacation is alive and well in tropics-print caftans like this fresh-off-the-runway one from SHAN's SS27 Collection.
Noun
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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.
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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.
Noun
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That’s the £312 million phantom.
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Such a designation, evidently, would save agents from wasting time chasing phantoms.
Cite this Entry
“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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