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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of phantasm
The phantasm jeers at me in this lecture theatre.
—
Tega Oghenechovwen, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
There, like enormous catcher’s mitts, the detectors lie in wait for extremely rare collisions between one of these lumbering phantasms and an ordinary atom.
—Rachel Courtland, IEEE Spectrum, 1 May 2014
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
See all Example Sentences for phantasm 
Tega Oghenechovwen, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
There, like enormous catcher’s mitts, the detectors lie in wait for extremely rare collisions between one of these lumbering phantasms and an ordinary atom.
—Rachel Courtland, IEEE Spectrum, 1 May 2014
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
See all Example Sentences for phantasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm
Noun
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This ‘80s silhouette, which cinches at the waist but leaves volume across the shoulders and flares at the hip, creates the illusion of an exaggerated hourglass figure, immediately adding shape back into Jenner’s otherwise loose-fitting ensemble.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2025
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This lack of day-to-day oversight allows Starfleet to preserve the illusion of plausible deniability.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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There’s a kind of Gothic quality to the apparitions, calling to mind Edward Gorey figures, but all smeared and melted and smudged.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
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There have been no sightings, no fleeting apparitions.—
David Ornstein,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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For the Love of Sonic: Directing a Trilogy—With a background in visual effects and animation, director Jeff Fowler shares how directing the Sonic films has been a dream come true.—
Billie Melissa,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
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With the sun conjunct Pluto in Aquarius — shaking up your 12th house of closure, dreams, healing and unconscious patterns — you’re empowered with an inner knowing and deep sense of spirituality.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Hollywood’s ghosts fill Lynch’s work, and so does its muck and its filth.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
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Scenes unfold in extended, impulsively mobile shots, which create the impression of a ghost who is no mere passive observer but an alert and active mind.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Trump slams foes, outlines vision: 5 takeaways in first sit-down interview as president With the Resolute desk in the backdrop, Donald Trump gave his first sit-down interview since being sworn in as president to ally and Fox News Host Sean Hannity.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
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Rosen Hotels & Resorts is now under the leadership of CEO Frank Santos, a longtime Rosen associate who ruled out a sale of the company and vowed to carry on its founder’s vision.—
Skyler Swisher,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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On Friday, a team of researchers argued that the fish was a phantom all along.—
Jason Nark,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
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Listen to this article San Diego Symphony organ curator Bob Knight will never be mistaken for the phantom of the opera.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In a moment of delusion, Simon cooks up a scheme to get Wei-Tung married and secure their friend Wei-Wei a green card.—
Sadie Collins,
Them,
24 Jan. 2025
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Being able to make tactical adjustments or create a match environment that the stronger opponent doesn’t enjoy is one thing; when that isn’t possible, maintaining self-belief often tips towards delusion.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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There was a woozy unreality about that first glimpse.—
Peter Ross,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Jan. 2025
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Schwarzenegger’s hand getting enmeshed in the T-1000’s liquid skull emphasizes unreality, yet every time a Terminator throws the other against another machine, it’s done with the strength of human force.—
Vikram Murthi,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near phantasm
Cite this Entry
“Phantasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasm. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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