PHANTASM Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

phantasm

noun

ˈfan-ˌta-zəm

variants also fantasm

Definition of phantasm

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

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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasm

Noun

This is the illusion that the Rankine of Triage has abandoned.

— Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
The illusion of molten steel was basically water and mineral oil mixed with a little powdered sugar; creative lighting and heaters placed below the cameras—plus a few CGI sparks in the background—did the rest.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of illusion

Noun

Meanwhile, the Young Bucks will challenge Adam Copeland and Christian Cage for the AEW World Tag Team Championship in a dream match between teams from different generations.

— Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Pop, in making his dream a reality, became a hero and a torchbearer.

— Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of dream

Noun

To be eligible to play Power Four college sports now means to breathe; there are rumors that a group of ghosts from the 1907 Pitt Panthers is suing the NCAA to play another year.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
In one extended sequence, Delaney just wanders his lonely apartment, the ghost of his wife already haunting the place.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of ghost

Noun

Young people want movies and TV shows that reflect their own lives and relatable issues, rather than more stories in the fantasy genre, according to last year’s annual Teens and Screens report from the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
The two companies have joined forces to form ProgCore Press, which will focus on fantasy and roleplaying games and sit within Gungnir’s suite of publishing businesses.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of fantasy

Noun

In her latest book, Stay Buried, siblings new to a remote Vermont town discover that the locals live in fear of a vengeful spirit.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
But the legacy of the modernist academic-cultural complex blinds us to the mimetic spirit of this new technical logic.

— Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of spirit

Noun

The next day, Luwi had a similar daydream, but this time the disapproving patriarch was Gajdusek.

— Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
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.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026

Definition of daydream

Noun

Fadal brought up her own phantom smells during a recent podcast conversation with Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist who’s written about and conducted research on this symptom.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
Both phantoms were packed with thousands of dosimeters, tracking radiation dose over specific phases of the flight rather than just a cumulative total.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026