pipe dream

noun

Definition of pipe dreamnext
as in dream
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality opening our own restaurant has long been a pipe dream

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pipe dream When a double sink is nothing short of a pipe dream, the best small bathroom vanities are the only solution to simulating en suite vibes in your powder room. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 13 Aug. 2026 Arendt then cited Wilhelm Marr’s Sieg des Judentums über das Germanentum (The Victory of Judaism over Teutonism, 1869), thus lining up all the antisemitic pipe dreams that came close to fulfillment. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 Forever is not just a pipe dream for the high school senior after winning the Jimmy Award. — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 When brand new entry-level telescopes start at a few hundred dollars, the idea of getting anything decent for pocket change sounds like a pipe dream. — Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pipe dream
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pipe dream
  1. dream
  2. illusion
  3. daydream
  4. fantasy
  5. vision
Noun
  • The hoarder’s house functions as the deferred dream, the repository of all frustration.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Each contestant must pitch, prototype and perfect their dream dish with their creations then stress-tested for taste, kitchen feasibility, and trialled with real customers, to win a place on the menu.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of dream
Noun
  • Christy orchestrates the elaborate stagecraft that sells the illusion of a bustling organization.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • When the team built a setup to directly quantify real-time heat flux alongside electrical output, the theoretical illusions collapsed.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • Walking through prewar Berlin, taking in its historic architecture, Susanna daydreams of her native New York, an ever-changing city where buildings are torn down and rebuilt in the blink of an eye.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • It's inspired by Snoopy's daydream of being the coolest beagle on campus.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of daydream
Noun
  • That’s all before setting aside the time to manage a fantasy football roster, oversee a gambling hobby, or make sure you’re fully briefed for the next all-hands—sorry, hangout—at the bar.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Cinema employees help with laundry, cleaning, maintenance, and guests’ needs — meaning the staff behind the L’Amour fantasy have a whole property to look after on top of everything else.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fantasy
Noun
  • Today, there are teams worldwide bringing that vision to life, including the strong partnerships Ford established with its long-standing licensees Zegna and Marcolin, for fashion and eyewear, respectively.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • After trying to sell businesses on a new Copilot last month, Nadella took a similar approach for his vision of agents and hybrid intelligence for Windows.
    — Tom Warren, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of vision

Browse Nearby Words

pipe down
pipe dream
pipe dreams
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Cite this Entry

“Pipe dream.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pipe%20dream. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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