as in illusion
an image that tricks a person's vision
Some may dismiss what we witnessed that night as an optical illusion, but we firmly believe it was a UFO.
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Recent Examples of optical illusion
Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion that astrologers believe carries significant energetic influence.
—
Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion where the planet appears to move backward from Earth's perspective.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Think of hair microblading as an optical illusion, just like eyebrow microblading.
—Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
In small spaces, a glass or acrylic coffee table can provide an optical illusion, taking up minimal visual real estate while still giving you a surface to set down a drink or burn your favorite candle.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion where the planet appears to move backward from Earth's perspective.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Think of hair microblading as an optical illusion, just like eyebrow microblading.
—Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
In small spaces, a glass or acrylic coffee table can provide an optical illusion, taking up minimal visual real estate while still giving you a surface to set down a drink or burn your favorite candle.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion
Noun
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To the delusional, reality is an illusion.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
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The three women enter a love triangle where desire and illusion collide with their unresolved maternal wounds.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some skeptics view the idea as a pipe dream in tough fiscal times when the federal government is spending billions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the war in Iran.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2026
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When Koy was moving up the comedy ranks under his real name Joseph Glenn Herbert, the thought of calling himself a comedian felt like a pipe dream.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mercury puts on its best evening apparition of 2025 for Northern Hemisphere observers during these two weeks.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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As the 14-year-old child of a poor family in 1858, Saint Bernadette experienced numerous apparitions of a young woman in a cave or grotto, seemingly the Virgin Mary, asking for a chapel to be built on the site.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Rather than a somewhat normal for Hollywood bakeoff, Paramount plans to kind of smush the two scripts together into one IP chimera.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Look behind that curtain and see that the great and powerful Oz is a chimera.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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