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
OpenAI is also facing a number of wrongful death lawsuits, which allege that ChatGPT drove users to experience harmful delusions and, in some cases, to commit suicide.
—
Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Work picked up, and Harbour began building a career, often playing a supporting character who helps reveal the hypocrisies or delusions of the protagonists.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
One neighbor told the local TV station that Gledhill appeared to suffer from delusions.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Liaquat Ahamed has spent his career studying the moments when the world’s financial system breaks down — the bad bets, the collective delusions, and the geopolitical accidents that tip economies into catastrophe.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Among these delusions is the perennial faith that Iranians are potentially ardent converts to American-style freedom, rather than inheritors of an ancient civilization with a trajectory outlined by its own specific history.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
When Clark rejects the truth, forcing Mary to validate his delusions, the self-destructive circle closes and Clark is consumed by himself.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
In 19 conversations between humans and chatbots analyzed by researchers, interactions spun out of control when chatbots lacked critical feedback and intervention, failing to push back like an actual human would and validating delusions in the process.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Work picked up, and Harbour began building a career, often playing a supporting character who helps reveal the hypocrisies or delusions of the protagonists.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
One neighbor told the local TV station that Gledhill appeared to suffer from delusions.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Liaquat Ahamed has spent his career studying the moments when the world’s financial system breaks down — the bad bets, the collective delusions, and the geopolitical accidents that tip economies into catastrophe.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Among these delusions is the perennial faith that Iranians are potentially ardent converts to American-style freedom, rather than inheritors of an ancient civilization with a trajectory outlined by its own specific history.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
When Clark rejects the truth, forcing Mary to validate his delusions, the self-destructive circle closes and Clark is consumed by himself.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
In 19 conversations between humans and chatbots analyzed by researchers, interactions spun out of control when chatbots lacked critical feedback and intervention, failing to push back like an actual human would and validating delusions in the process.
—Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delusions
Noun
-
Rustin and Epstein—who recently opened an intimate second space in London for Edel Assanti—were under no illusions.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
10 June 2026
-
This lifelong Black Catholic bears no illusions about the sins of my church.—
Laura Washington,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Still, in our age of political cynicism, sports and literature may be the last two places in our culture in which the American myths feel truthful.—
Sam Evan Sussman,
Vogue,
10 June 2026
-
Other myths, such as how tanning your perineum can boost energy and balance hormones, or how eliminating seed oils from your diet will protect you from the sun, have also fed into Gen Z tanning culture.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 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,
8 June 2026
-
My husband, inspired by the radio dramas of his childhood, planned the trek with dreams of celebrating, if not re-creating, history.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The danger of hallucinations means health officials must tread with caution, given the outsized impact that errors could have in the response to a public emergency.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
12 June 2026
-
The model writes the code, runs the tests, reads the errors, fixes the code, runs the tests again, and reports back when something is shipped.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
These fantasies can all skew toward exclusionary extremism on the left and the right.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
-
In those pages, Fiedler dared to argue that many of America’s boyish and putatively innocent classics are in fact fantasies of interracial, homosexual romance.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
On Monday afternoon, the AP projected that Raman would advance to the November general election, setting up a contest between two Democrats with sharply different visions for the city.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
Fresh off the stunning success of Jaws, Spielberg began working on an alien epic about an average Joe (played by Richard Dreyfuss) who begins to see unexplained lights in the sky and has visions of a mysterious tower.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The heady scent—a mix of white florals, amber, and sandalwood—induces daydreams of tanning on a white-sand beach.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
-
Nina, Karen and Caroline started appearing in my daydreams, full of vigor and life lessons.—
Jennifer Acker,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Delusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delusions. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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