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
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Recent Examples of illusions
Masks are slipping and illusions are fading.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
The United States, searching for self-definition but loath to lose its illusions—its innocence—needed all of this as a counterpoint.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
But while those are decent accomplishments for this iteration of the Boston Bruins, there were no illusions inside the locker room or with the coach about where this team is right now.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 3 May 2026
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, 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
In 2028, a 22-day fair is scheduled for June 7 to July 4 with a theme of magic and illusions.
—Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Some cherished illusions will be shattered, including what chimpanzees eat, which is not exclusively fruit but sometimes other, weaker primates like red colobus monkeys.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
No one was under any illusions.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
The United States, searching for self-definition but loath to lose its illusions—its innocence—needed all of this as a counterpoint.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
But while those are decent accomplishments for this iteration of the Boston Bruins, there were no illusions inside the locker room or with the coach about where this team is right now.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 3 May 2026
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, 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
In 2028, a 22-day fair is scheduled for June 7 to July 4 with a theme of magic and illusions.
—Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Some cherished illusions will be shattered, including what chimpanzees eat, which is not exclusively fruit but sometimes other, weaker primates like red colobus monkeys.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
No one was under any illusions.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illusions
Noun
-
Around him, siblings, lovers and friends face CIA threats, tourist-rental anxieties, drug-dealing producers, secret desire and lottery dreams in a choral portrait of love, family and frustrated escape.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
Each gets stage time to speak at length about their dreams, both realized and broken, and regrets.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
As awareness of the issue of AI delusions increases, safer models are helping establish a new baseline for the industry.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 May 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Their shared trip gradually turns into a confrontation with their own lives, relationships and visions of the future.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
6 May 2026
-
There are many competing visions of how technology and military strategy should be combined in the Gulf’s waters, some of which cross into the bizarre.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Given the amount of misinformation on the internet about just about anything, the ability to distinguish accurate information from potentially harmful myths or scams is vital.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Some myths add that a woman who becomes a kuntilanak is one who also died a violent death, murdered and/or raped by men, and who now seeks revenge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
The sophisticated set by ace production designer David Gropman enables Altman’s perpetually moving and zooming camera to drift in and out of two-way mirrors that depict memories and fantasies with both immediacy and a gauzy nostalgia.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The set was an emotional roller coaster with four deuces and eight service errors by the Highlanders.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Hawai’i scored in bunches, while unforced errors hurt Long Beach.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illusions. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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