pipe dream

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Koy was moving up the comedy ranks under his real name Joseph Glenn Herbert, the thought of calling himself a comedian felt like a pipe dream.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Purity is a pipe dream, though, because the politics of quitting booze are, like drinkers themselves, messy.

From Slate • Feb. 15, 2026

Perfect anonymity online is still a pipe dream, but a good VPN gets you pretty close.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2026

David Goldwyn, head of Goldwyn Global Strategies and a former Obama administration official, said it may be a pipe dream to expect oil companies to risk large sums on turning around Venezuela.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

“Oh! And some nice pink papier hygiénique!” she added fervently, and we both laughed at that pipe dream.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver