1
as in illusions
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
her idea that her new man is a long lost prince is surely just a delusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in myths
a false idea or belief
he appears to suffer from the delusion that he's the best reporter in the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of delusions
Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality that can be characterized by hearing voices and having delusions.
—
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The case has rightly focused attention on how chatbots apparently reinforce delusions and foster emotional dependency.
—Marc Augustin, STAT, 16 Apr. 2026
Lying in this crypt is Nathan Lane’s Willy Loman, a tragic humbug, his delusions contradicted by the ruins around him.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
If Miller made Willy the embodiment of self-delusion, and Biff the defiant, angry forsaking of those delusions, Linda is compassion as byproduct of insight.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
His church becomes a vital part of Homelander’s plan, just as Homelander’s delusions of divinity soon become everyone’s plague.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
The rapid explosion of tools like Gemini and ChatGPT have led to some users forming obsessive relationships with AI bots, allegedly contributing to delusions and, in extreme cases, murder-suicides.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
No more climate change worship, no more division, distraction, or gender delusions.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
People with the disorder usually experience a combination of psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorderly behavior.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The case has rightly focused attention on how chatbots apparently reinforce delusions and foster emotional dependency.
—Marc Augustin, STAT, 16 Apr. 2026
Lying in this crypt is Nathan Lane’s Willy Loman, a tragic humbug, his delusions contradicted by the ruins around him.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
If Miller made Willy the embodiment of self-delusion, and Biff the defiant, angry forsaking of those delusions, Linda is compassion as byproduct of insight.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
His church becomes a vital part of Homelander’s plan, just as Homelander’s delusions of divinity soon become everyone’s plague.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
The rapid explosion of tools like Gemini and ChatGPT have led to some users forming obsessive relationships with AI bots, allegedly contributing to delusions and, in extreme cases, murder-suicides.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
No more climate change worship, no more division, distraction, or gender delusions.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
People with the disorder usually experience a combination of psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorderly behavior.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusions
Noun
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Archaeologists analyze the ancient painters’ creative use of the cave’s spatial definition to tell stories and create illusions of motion.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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In 2028, a 22-day fair is scheduled for June 7 to July 4 with a theme of magic and illusions.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s something for everybody in myths.—
Marah Eakin,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
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The first is the broader destigmatization of cannabis, as state after state dismantles old laws and outdated myths.—
Dr. Sanjay Gupta,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The program has accumulated nearly $80 million to support their college and career dreams.—
Debra-Ellen Glickstein,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
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For aspiring writers scrolling through deal announcements on industry sites or social media, those vague labels can fuel both dreams and misconceptions.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hopefully his teammates and coaches realize the errors in their ways.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
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In December, Chelsea’s players looked inexplicably unprepared for the intensity of this long-time rivalry and were caught out via defensive errors.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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Inspired in part by Gillian Anderson’s compendium of women’s erotic fantasies, Want, as well as Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, Superbloom is, in theory, a manifestation of Ware’s deepest desires.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But some movies, either deliberately or inadvertently, manage to offer glimpses into the future, either through visions of technological advances or predicted social and political trends.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 Apr. 2026
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When citizens insist on shaping the basic terms of social life by appealing to premises that others cannot reasonably be expected to accept—revelation, doctrines of transcendence, private moral visions—the result is not a purer politics but a dangerously brittle one.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusions. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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