as in daydream
something that comes from or exists only in the mind and is not real
He thought he saw water up ahead but it was just a mirage.
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Recent Examples of mirage
Some visitors push farther still, boarding seaplanes to Dry Tortugas National Park, where Fort Jefferson rises from impossibly blue water like a mirage.
—
Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
The 74-year-old — the oldest head coach in NFL history — started his Raiders tenure strong with a season-opening win over the Patriots, but that proved to be a mirage as Las Vegas won just two more games the rest of the way to finish tied for the worst record in the league.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Helen is thinking that John was a mirage and that there won’t be an instant granddaughter.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
In Brazil, housing is more than an economic mirage.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mirage
Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
The 74-year-old — the oldest head coach in NFL history — started his Raiders tenure strong with a season-opening win over the Patriots, but that proved to be a mirage as Las Vegas won just two more games the rest of the way to finish tied for the worst record in the league.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Helen is thinking that John was a mirage and that there won’t be an instant granddaughter.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
In Brazil, housing is more than an economic mirage.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mirage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mirage
Noun
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An open-air courtyard centers around a fountain, while the legendary pool—at 23,000 square feet, one of the largest hotel pools in the country and the largest on the East Coast—stretches beneath palms like something from a Gatsby daydream.—
Lisa A. Beach,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
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Bob Weir, the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, whose songs about sunshine daydreams and truckin’ helped turn the jam band into a 60-year musical empire, has died at age 78.—
Richard Gehr,
Rolling Stone,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Sadly, his college ball dreams didn’t come to fruition after the coach who called him up retired.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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Over the past seven years, Blake Lively brought her dream hair care line to life by redefining the beauty industry with a blend of passion, precision and purpose.—
Kanika Talwar,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Abbadon has also received a similar illusion based nerf to his Curse of Avernus which should also tone him down a bit as well.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Beware the illusion of the open world.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mirage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mirage. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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