1
as in dream
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
the magician specializes in creating illusions, so that people believe they have seen something when they really haven't
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delusion
a false idea or belief
he had no illusions about how much effort and money the renovation project would require
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illusion
Nobody should be under any illusion that the infighting will stop anytime soon.
—
Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025
There’s this illusion that whatever happens in Thailand stays in Thailand.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
And few can bear to lose all their other illusions.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 6 Apr. 2025
That’s the cost of such rigorous theming: Since you’re supposed to be inside a game, anything that gets in the way of that illusion is banned.
—Todd Anderson, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illusion
Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025
There’s this illusion that whatever happens in Thailand stays in Thailand.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
And few can bear to lose all their other illusions.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 6 Apr. 2025
That’s the cost of such rigorous theming: Since you’re supposed to be inside a game, anything that gets in the way of that illusion is banned.
—Todd Anderson, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illusion
Noun
-
However, LeSean McCoy's Philadelphia Eagles gave K.C. nightmares and celebrated their dreams that came tr... NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Readers in some sense rewrite a text, enlarging its scope through their imagination, creating a whole world by bringing into play their skills, their memory, their dreams and their personal history, with all its drama and symbolism.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Some might suggest that these delusions of grandeur are designed to tranquilize the nervous masses; regardless, the public obviously craves them.—
Lauren Stienstra,
Time,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Researchers noted the positive effects of ecstatic epilepsy and synthesized fifty-three theoretical models of delusion.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Plus, that veil of fantasy keeps things from getting too serious.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Notes on Riley Quick, Henry Ford, as well as some top names for 2026 Concerning fantasy baseball 2025 performances from Roki Sasaki, Cody Bellinger and more Zack Meisel is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Entities magically endowed with life by the gods are not a rarity in Greek myth.—
Sofia Giannuzzi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Apr. 2025
-
At the same time, the Health and Human Service Department, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has stoked uncertainty and confusion among Americans whose suspicions grew during the pandemic about vaccines and what many scientists worry are myths about alternatives.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After all, strategy without execution is a daydream, but execution without strategy is a nightmare.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
If your daydreams about jetting off on a European vacation keep getting thwarted by your budget and bank account, all hope isn’t lost.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Graham Pauley singled and advanced to third when a fielder’s choice turned into a throwing error on Bohm.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Imagine a child learning to ride a bike: no manual, just trial, error, and the joy of balance.—
Paul X. McCarthy,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This month will ask you to stay true to your vision while navigating outside obstacles with grace.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
-
These shops are designed to complement the developer’s vision of enhancing NoDa’s walkable neighborhood charm.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But as with its aww-shucks hero, there’s more to it than meets the eye; something much stranger lurks behind the slight Twilight Zone unreality of its very movie-ish Midwest.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
-
All those books teaching parents how to take care of their children—the first year, the first eighteen months, the first five or ten years—none of them addresses this difficulty: for parents and for children, the border between reality and unreality is not always clearly marked.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illusion. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share