ILLUSIONS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

illusions

noun

plural of illusion

as in dreams

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

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as in delusions

a false idea or belief he had no illusions about how much effort and money the renovation project would require

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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 illusions In each case, however, modern physics has shown these assumptions to be illusions. — Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026 Designed by Australian magician and magic consultant Adam Mada, the illusions use a fade box where contestants can be seen disappearing and reappearing on the studio monitors in real time. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shattered Europe’s remaining illusions not just about Moscow but also about Beijing. — Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, 95 people—Millennial and Gen Z men and women, all of whom had a history of using Instagram for an average of eight years—underwent a virtual reality experience called body illusions. — Nicole Karlis, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026 But Zinn’s illusions in the war, challenged already by lefties in the ranks and by seeing his friends killed, were permanently put to rest due to the bombing of Royan. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 The rise of Black power influenced Chicano activism, and many Mexican Americans increasingly shed illusions that they could be seen as white, at least legally so, and rejected assimilationist impulses. — Eladio Bobadilla, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026 Neither of them, however, had any illusions about his prospects. — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 Because only in intense, rarefied states will our illusions finally drop away, like redundant scaffolding, freeing us to perceive life on a more visceral level. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illusions

Noun

Afterward, Lindsay offered a lesson to high school football players about finding a way to stay the course to fulfill your dreams.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Looking to win a rubber match to keep their fledgling postseason dreams alive, the Twins turned in a lackluster performance in a 9-2 rout by the Cleveland Guardians in front of 17,676 at Target Field.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of dreams

Noun

Psychosis is a complete break from reality and involves hallucinations and delusions.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Symptoms, which can take up to two months to develop, may include headache, nausea and sore throat before progressing to hallucinations, delusions, disorientation, paralysis and coma.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of delusions

Noun

Meanwhile, at a college job fair, Angie and Ormewood encounter a grad student claiming to have psychic visions.

— Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Ewa Mroczkowska’s production design also turns dewy embankments, decadent interiors, and sunrises over cemeteries into visions of storybook-like decay.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of visions

Noun

Coleman, who is married to an immigrant, dispelled any myths that his passionate testimony was racist, anti-immigrant or politically motivated.

— Nicole Russell, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
One of the most persistent myths in modern business is that high-performing talent can routinely overcome a broken environment.

— Natalie Grabher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of myths

Noun

Most residual errors identified in recent evaluations fall into mild-to-moderate severity when the note gets properly reviewed.

— Pat Williams, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Skilled accounts earned consistent profits by reacting more quickly to publicly available news, arbitraging inconsistent pricing across related contracts and trading against behavioral errors.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of errors

Noun

And amidst the momentum of reverie, there’s the line ‘Blink at the light and hope to survive,’ because daydreams in a fascist state can be scary too.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026
One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.

— Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026

Definition of daydreams

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illusionists

illusions

illusive

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“Illusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illusions. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of illusions

noun

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