will-o'-the-wisp

noun

Definition of will-o'-the-wispnext
as in pipe dream

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for will-o'-the-wisp
  1. pipe dream
  2. mirage
  3. ignis fatuus
  4. daydream
Noun
  • Hutchinson’s desire to be back for the Super Bowl sounds more like a pipe dream.
    Steve Silverman, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
  • But their plan for transforming it into a venue isn’t a pipe dream.
    Curbed editors, Curbed, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of pipe dream
Noun
  • For this demographic, Detroit was once a mirage, an urban escape from an exploitive agricultural lifestyle enshrouded in trauma and grief.
    Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Narrowly beating a rebuilding Michigan team 20-15 at home Saturday, after nearly blowing a 14-point lead and holding on when the Wolverines’ late 2-point conversion attempt failed, was the first inkling that Indiana might be a mirage.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2024
Definition of mirage
Noun
  • Several sources say ignis fatuus, a spark of swamp gas, is the likely cause of the strange light.
    Fox News, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2023
  • The story also helped explain ignis fatuus, a natural phenomenon that occurs in marshlands and bogs—such as those in Ireland’s countryside—producing flickering lights as gases from decomposing organic matter combust.
    National Geographic, National Geographic, 27 Oct. 2020
Definition of ignis fatuus
Noun
  • Bohemian daydream Boho’s been back for almost a year now, but spring’s best runways have taken the aesthetic in its dreamiest direction yet.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 18 Dec. 2024
  • The series was often praised for its cutaway sequences tied to the daydreams of Braff’s character, J.D., with Braff also serving as the series’ narrator.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of daydream
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.

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Thesaurus Entries Near will-o'-the-wisp

will-less

will-o'-the-wisp

will-o'-the-wisps

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Cite this Entry

“Will-o'-the-wisp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/will-o%27-the-wisp. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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