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
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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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm
Noun
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The milky manicure—which gives the illusion of a milky bath—has inspired plenty of spin-offs, usually worn with long almond nails.—
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As represented by Camus, absurdism emphasizes accepting the absurdity of life and finding joy without illusions, often through gallows humor.—
Noun
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Central Staircase An eerie apparition of Mary Worth will appear at the top of the staircase.—
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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.—
Noun
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Duff’s return is what a millennial’s dreams are made of, after all.—
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Everyone goes on Survivor with the dream of winning the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize that goes with it.—
Noun
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The highlight of this year’s event will be the new 17-foot-tall Lego Halloween Tree made with 680,963 Lego bricks and filled with cobwebs, ghosts and pumpkins.—
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Notwithstanding the endless parade of ghosts, demons, serial killers and at least one Mothman, Haunted Hotel is mostly not trying to frighten you.—
Noun
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Much of the film, for all its bristling kineticism, unfolds in closeup; Anderson’s favorite vistas and visions can be mapped out in the human face.—
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Continue reading … EYES WIDE OPEN – Scientists unveil breakthrough eye drops that restore close-up vision without surgery.—
Noun
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Future Antarctic and radio-neutrino arrays will decide if ANITA glimpsed a phantom or a frontier.—
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Because contemporary phantoms of Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and Rolex are expertly constructed to entice even the most discerning eye, provenance is crucial.—
Noun
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As people increasingly turn to AI chatbots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have put a spotlight on their potential to feed into delusions and facilitate a false sense of closeness or care.—
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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.—
Noun
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In rare cases, sleepers gain insight into the unreality of their dreams from within the dream itself.—
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For Leader, this hammers home the unreality of a studio without an intense marketing machine around it.—
Cite this Entry
“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
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