1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delusions
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
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Recent Examples of illusions
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
The detective has no illusions about the rot, misogyny and rancid behavior simmering within the police force.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 June 2026
These qualities may work well in meme-making or cosplay, but illusions of strength are not useful in mixed martial arts.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
But our conversation ended up being so much about women and mothers generally, and how people in their lives create these illusions of normalcy and these illusions of perfection based on superficial stuff.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
Neptune, on the other hand, is the planet of dreams, illusions, spirituality, idealization, confusion and surrender.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
There is that moment where the illusions crumble, where the masks fall away and what follows is disappointment.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
And while an optimistic sort, El Tipo Este harbors few illusions.
—Bill Kopp, SPIN, 13 May 2026
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
The detective has no illusions about the rot, misogyny and rancid behavior simmering within the police force.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 June 2026
These qualities may work well in meme-making or cosplay, but illusions of strength are not useful in mixed martial arts.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
But our conversation ended up being so much about women and mothers generally, and how people in their lives create these illusions of normalcy and these illusions of perfection based on superficial stuff.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
Neptune, on the other hand, is the planet of dreams, illusions, spirituality, idealization, confusion and surrender.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
There is that moment where the illusions crumble, where the masks fall away and what follows is disappointment.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
And while an optimistic sort, El Tipo Este harbors few illusions.
—Bill Kopp, SPIN, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illusions
Noun
-
For one, the inspiring and bonding experience of Cowgirl Up—a week where women from across the globe come to live out their dreams of an iconic ranch stay—and not only release, but exercise their inner cowboy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
These memories of his brief, sad human life are uneasy dreams that Lestat wakes from on his tour bus as the sun sets over the road to Toledo.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
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
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
“Illusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illusions. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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