as in daydreams
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 mirages
Bat away mirages and stick to what’s really in your viewfinder.
—
Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
At the frontier edge of astronomy, tantalizing new observations have a tendency to be mirages.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2025
But inside, slabs of colored glass, hunks of polished resin, and sundry material experiments gleam like mirages in the sunlight that streams in from the ceiling and windows.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
The Great Plain stretches beneath poetic skies where herds graze and mirages dance—while thermal springs bubble in ornate bathhouses like Széchenyi—their steam rising through vaulted ceilings.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
At the frontier edge of astronomy, tantalizing new observations have a tendency to be mirages.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2025
But inside, slabs of colored glass, hunks of polished resin, and sundry material experiments gleam like mirages in the sunlight that streams in from the ceiling and windows.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
The Great Plain stretches beneath poetic skies where herds graze and mirages dance—while thermal springs bubble in ornate bathhouses like Széchenyi—their steam rising through vaulted ceilings.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mirages
Noun
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Shortly after, the book began to take shape, with new elements often arriving in vivid daydreams and eerie nightmares.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
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And like the iconic Orient-Express (whose original route has been revived by Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), the Champagne flutes, suited servers, and glossy design of this locomotive hold a seductive potential for daydreams and drama.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Along with a series of restaurants and a playground for children, there's even a replica field for fans to live their own big league dreams.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
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In decades past, China’s ascendent middle class flocked to booming megacities to chase jobs and dreams, once abundant as the country went from rags to riches.—
Albee Zhang,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The annual event in Indianapolis also allows general managers to speak with one another in person, engage in informal chats with agents and meet with the media to discuss their visions.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
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During one of her stays in jail, Lee was beset by visions that led her to believe herself to be God’s representative on Earth — an epiphany that did not improve her tenuous standing with the Church of England.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mirages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mirages. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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