as in pipe dream
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Recent Examples of ignis fatuus
Several sources say ignis fatuus, a spark of swamp gas, is the likely cause of the strange light.
—
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, 27 Oct. 2020
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, 27 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignis fatuus
Noun
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Leadership development professionals face an uphill battle: coaching is expensive, training doesn’t always translate to behavior change, and establishing a culture of learning can feel like a pipe dream.—
Kevin Kruse,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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But as Variety reports, the now A-list cast is busy with other projects, the character arcs reportedly have to be reworked to accommodate a time jump, and a production start date is but a pipe dream in Sam Levinson’s head.—
Zoe Guy,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The first of this two-part article explores why legal transformation remains a mirage, notwithstanding rapid global and business change.—
Mark A. Cohen,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
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If the effect is widespread, chasing an immutable ordering is comparable to chasing a mirage.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
Ars Technica,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Asian option looks like a chimera, the Europe option is off the table, and in any case requires a fundamental recalibration of the national idea which is difficult for any country.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
26 Apr. 2016
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In seeking a progressive agenda that somehow never aligned with secular trends, Circle was chasing a chimera.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Leigh used every moment, every expression, to tell Blanche's story and to illustrate her torment, her delusion, and her desire for affection.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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This fact of life discomforts those who refuse to accept the existence of consequences and the politicians whose careers thrive on the delusion that compromise is for the weak.—
Noah Rothman,
National Review,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Conor’s passionately absorbing, poignantly observed self-refraction from individuality into idiosyncrasy lends his very reality an air of unreality.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2025
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The unreality of the present moment should be a boon for artists and all who deal in the imagination.—
Dean Kissick,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition (March 25) takes a wary view of its own contents, which span half a millennium, arguing that the West acted out its daydreams of a docile Orient one cup-and-saucer at a time.—
Shauna Lyon,
The New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2025
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If Viner and Rickman's selections are representative, Corrie was a compelling diarist, writing a blend of idealism, daydream and detailed observation.—
Jim Higgins,
Journal Sentinel,
21 Sep. 2024
Noun
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The 400-year-old fort is famed for its mirror work on the walls and 3D carvings creating illusions on its pillars.—
Shalbha Sarda,
Architectural Digest,
4 Mar. 2025
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Then finding a solution for them, but more give them the illusion of choice.—
Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to ignis fatuus
Cite this Entry
“Ignis fatuus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignis%20fatuus. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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