chimera

noun

kī-ˈmir-ə How to pronounce chimera (audio)
Definition of chimeranext
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality a monster in the closet would not have been the first chimera that the boy had seen in his mind's eye

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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 chimera Rather than a somewhat normal for Hollywood bakeoff, Paramount plans to kind of smush the two scripts together into one IP chimera. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026 Look behind that curtain and see that the great and powerful Oz is a chimera. — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026 The Animal Legal Defense Fund, an animal advocacy organization, argued that if such chimeras gained humanlike awareness, they should be treated as human research subjects. — Monika Piotrowska, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025 The chimera of a two-state solution still has widespread backing within Washington’s traditional foreign policy establishment. — Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chimera
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chimera
  1. illusion
  2. dream
  3. fantasy
  4. daydream
  5. vision
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
  • The initial offering will include more than 200 titles across popular genres including romance, billionaire romance, fantasy and family drama, with a wide selection of titles available with Indonesian dubbing and subtitles.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The catalog spans genres such as fantasy, family drama, romance and billionaire romance, told in episodes running 60-90 seconds.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of fantasy
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
  • Roman will also detect exoplanets using the tried-and-true transit method, but scientists expect the new telescope to find a lot more than past space missions have, thanks to its wider vision.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The immigrant entrepreneurs often offered their families and young customers an idealized vision of American life.
    — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of vision

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chime in
chimera
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Cite this Entry

“Chimera.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chimera. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chimera

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chimera

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