as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
the company claimed that the only hazards involving its product were the phantom dangers created by consumer groups
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
Halloween is supposed to be a time when phantoms return to walk among us
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 phantom
PCMAG, 17 Dec. 2024
The Times often published the lists of their names and regiments, like a phantom roll call: the 121st Ohio, the 11th Indiana, the 29th Michigan, the 17th Kansas, the 10th Wisconsin.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Ashley Bardhan, Vulture, 17 June 2024
The Wizard of Oz Effect In the movie The Wizard of Oz, there’s a scene where the protagonist, Dorothy, and her band of misfits are seeking the great and powerful Oz, an amorphous wizard who appears as a phantom atop an explosion of smoke.
—Steve Tengler, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phantom 
Adjective
Callahan’s vocals shine through with authority, sitting nicely in the phantom center channel.
—PCMAG, 17 Dec. 2024
The Times often published the lists of their names and regiments, like a phantom roll call: the 121st Ohio, the 11th Indiana, the 29th Michigan, the 17th Kansas, the 10th Wisconsin.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
This character is essentially a phantom to you until the very end of Elden Ring.
—Ashley Bardhan, Vulture, 17 June 2024
The Wizard of Oz Effect In the movie The Wizard of Oz, there’s a scene where the protagonist, Dorothy, and her band of misfits are seeking the great and powerful Oz, an amorphous wizard who appears as a phantom atop an explosion of smoke.
—Steve Tengler, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phantom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantom
Adjective
-
That’s when Cora fired up some kind of imaginary jukebox inside his head and proceeded to dance the day away.—
Steve Buckley,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Gradually, an imaginary narrative for the property took shape.—
Blaine Davis,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Statham, who in the film will play a man pulled back towards the ghosts of his violent past, is currently reteaming with David Ayer on action-thriller A Working Man, and recently wrapped production on Mutiny with Jean-Francois Richet for Mad River.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Barcelona have previously criticised the current VAR system and asked for audios themselves when a potential ghost goal by winger Lamine Yamal was not given in an April 2024 Clasico which Madrid won 3-2.—
Dermot Corrigan,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Created by Chris Romano and Eric Falconer, who also are believed to be back for the sequel, Blue Mountain State is about a fictitious university, Blue Mountain State, and its football team, the Mountain Goats.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Last month, its editor revealed that A.I. had been used to tweak the Hungarian accents of its stars, Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, and to create fictitious architectural plans and buildings for the closing retrospective of the main character’s career.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
An iconic apex predator appeared through thick fog like an apparition and cautiously watched a photographer in Yellowstone National Park, stunning video shows.—
Brooke Baitinger,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Feb. 2025
-
Narrow beams of sunlight illuminate the torched frame of a single chair – like an apparition of the torturer who once stood there.—
Scott Peterson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
So 7,500 of the books went to the Concord Library, and there’s this room now there that helped to buoy my spirits, knowing that was happening.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
-
This game embodies the spirit of what makes Obsidian games special, and a chance to prove that the studio is one of the most prolific RPG houses in the industry, whose own original creations can stand above even their stellar work making sequels for others.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
One day, all of these mascots will seem as laughable — and as bigoted — as my mythical rabbi for the Brooklyn Jews.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Related Articles The buzzy Calvin Klein and The Row alum wasn’t the only one to explore folklore and mythical creatures this season.—
Ari Stark,
WWD,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Ferrell is on the cowbell, and fictional music producer Bruce Dickinson’s (Christopher Walken) gotta have more cowbell, baby.—
Tony Maglio,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2025
-
But the film was fictional, largely focusing on the perspective of U.S. soldiers.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
TIME,
10 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near phantom
Cite this Entry
“Phantom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantom. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share