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
Bukele shook off his delusions of being the emperor of social media and abandoned his bullying tactics in the face of the biggest bully.
—
Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of the suits allege that extensive use of the technology has inflicted a range of harms on children and adults alike, fostering delusions and despair for some and leading others to death by suicide and even murder-suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The first type is replete with hallucinations and delusions—voices, visions, grandiose beliefs, paranoia.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
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
Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of the suits allege that extensive use of the technology has inflicted a range of harms on children and adults alike, fostering delusions and despair for some and leading others to death by suicide and even murder-suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The first type is replete with hallucinations and delusions—voices, visions, grandiose beliefs, paranoia.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusions
Noun
-
The point was to conform language to lies, to narrow the range of thought, to obscure the truth, and, over time, to get people to believe in illusions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Academias, an Autograph Collection hotel, describes itself as a contemporary interpretation of Plato’s Academy, blending the old and the new, international yet dutifully steeped in its local myths—a mission that explains its Plato Lounge Bar as well as its Japanese-fusion gastrobar.—
Sarah Manguso,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
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If bitten by a rattlesnake, victims should stay calm, limit movement, call 911 and seek emergency medical attention, avoiding myths such as sucking out the venom or applying ice.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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And so to watch those guys get drafted, man, and live out a component of their dreams.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Post last year reported that an early version of directory was rife with errors, including misidentifying which health care providers were covered by which health care plans.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 May 2026
-
Casey Dart hit a leadoff single for Norton in the fifth, and a rare pair of errors helped the Lancers plate two with nobody out.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
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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While the film and television landscapes continue to evolve, this seems to us like the ideal time to bet on ourselves and champion strong material that brings our creative visions to life.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The first type is replete with hallucinations and delusions—voices, visions, grandiose beliefs, paranoia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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 4 May. 2026.
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