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
These wall drawings—at the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine, in 2024; the Art Institute of Chicago, in 2025; and Houston’s Menil Collection, in 2025—were all temporary, like frolicsome mirages.
—
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The film opens with real mirages filmed near Aswan in Egypt, where atmospheric conditions produce optical distortions.
—Lise Pedersen, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Multimodal models see ‘mirages’ This past week has brought yet more evidence of how weird these models are.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The film opens with real mirages filmed near Aswan in Egypt, where atmospheric conditions produce optical distortions.
—Lise Pedersen, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Multimodal models see ‘mirages’ This past week has brought yet more evidence of how weird these models are.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mirages
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
Noun
-
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
-
Samuel's mother, Nishae Samuel, previously described her son as cheerful and outgoing, with dreams of starting his own clothing line.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Can persuasive storytelling help Americans be more tolerant and accepting of those with different visions for what America ought to be?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
The bathrooms are visions of black-and-white marble and black tile, appointed with dual-head showers and a brilliant stand-alone mirror that swivels to catch you at every angle.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mirages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mirages. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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