How to Use wishful thinking in a Sentence

wishful thinking

noun
  • The idea that the enemy will immediately surrender is nothing more than wishful thinking.
  • That may or may not be wishful thinking.
    — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 6 May 2026
  • That proved from the start of the match to be wishful thinking.
    — Joel Petterson, New York Times, 9 Dec. 2017
  • And there's one school of thought that said that was wishful thinking.
    — CBS News, 25 Sep. 2019
  • But such wishful thinking doesn’t pay the bills — or keep the lights on.
    — Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2024
  • If that’s wishful thinking, then let the wish linger much longer than the virus.
    — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2020
  • Don’t fall prey to wishful thinking.
    — Alla Adam, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • That kind of wishful thinking could lead you to lose lots of money.
    — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 11 July 2024
  • Your credit card might be used to feed your wishful thinking.
    — Magi Helena, oregonlive, 9 Jan. 2020
  • Some of these ideas might be more wishful thinking than others.
    — Rachel King, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2020
  • That is achievable but rests on some sleight of hand and wishful thinking.
    — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 26 June 2018
  • Strength and force are what is needed, not words and wishful thinking.
    — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2024
  • These had been crafted with care — and no small amount of wishful thinking.
    — Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2018
  • That seems to be -- some people might say that's a bit of wishful thinking.
    — NBC News, 15 Aug. 2021
  • No amount of wishful thinking across these last two weeks of the season can change that.
    — Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2019
  • Needless to say, no amount of wishful thinking can make hair grow two feet overnight.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 17 May 2018
  • Now, the wait is on to see if such hopes were prescient or just wishful thinking.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
  • For once, backyard movie night doesn’t feel like wishful thinking.
    — PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Avoid wishful thinking and any kind of scam or scammer later in the month.
    — Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Such a scheme would not have cost the city any money, but it was agreed that this was wishful thinking.
    — Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
  • For the first time in a long time, the idea that better days are ahead wouldn’t just be wishful thinking.
    — Scott Bordow, azcentral, 1 Apr. 2018
  • Ford is mute on its future plans, so this is all wishful thinking for the time being.
    — Greg Fink, Car and Driver, 16 Feb. 2018
  • But, as of right now, this all feels like wishful thinking for Jordan.
    — Nick Romano, EW.com, 29 Apr. 2021
  • The school board’s decision to stick with it may be wishful thinking.
    — Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2020
  • If the math doesn’t pencil out early, no amount of wishful thinking will make up for it.
    — David Crown, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • That, of course, could prove to be a Democrat’s wishful thinking.
    — Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2023
  • The wishful thinking might well be on the Democratic side this time around.
    — Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2022
  • But to say that nothing has changed since Sandy Hook would be wishful thinking.
    — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2023
  • Their wishful thinking shows you where to innovate.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Open your eyes outside of wishful thinking and decide based on patterns.
    — Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wishful thinking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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