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

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

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2026

I thought it was a pipe dream, and told her as much.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros