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

Not long before, “talkies” had been mostly a pipe dream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

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

From Slate • Feb. 15, 2026

Yeah, I know, it’s mostly a pipe dream, but there are those who are trying to keep that dream alive.

From Salon • May 29, 2025

Every heads-up penny found and daydream and night dream and even when people say it's a pipe dream .

From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson