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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of optical illusion
Costume designer Paul Tazewell, who collaborated with Thom Browne on Janelle Monáe’s optical illusion dress and designed Chappell Roan’s pink suit, benefited from online discussions.
—
Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 12 May 2025
There's also an optical illusions section that can be fun for children who like to be perplexed.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 19 Apr. 2025
My favorite bits with him are his office decorations, frankly—the rabbit/duck optical illusion statue, showing his mutable nature, and the iceberg poster, hinting at hidden depths.
—Ars Technica, 25 Mar. 2025
This stunning image by the Hubble Space Telescope contains an optical illusion.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 12 May 2025
There's also an optical illusions section that can be fun for children who like to be perplexed.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 19 Apr. 2025
My favorite bits with him are his office decorations, frankly—the rabbit/duck optical illusion statue, showing his mutable nature, and the iceberg poster, hinting at hidden depths.
—Ars Technica, 25 Mar. 2025
This stunning image by the Hubble Space Telescope contains an optical illusion.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion
Noun
-
The entire spectacle is, of course, a line-of-sight illusion — all three objects extremely far from each other.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
And if anyone was naive enough to imagine the U.S.-led tournament in 2026 would be free of such political baggage, then surely the increasingly public proximity of the Trump-Infantino relationship has dispelled those illusions.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Houston is really high on Udoka, so this may seem like a pipe dream.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
-
Making changes like this can be difficult because estranged parents often don’t realize how important being on the same page is for their children so making such changes seems like a pipe dream.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2025
Noun
-
Venus reaches its point of greatest western elongation on June 1, at which time the dazzling 'morning star' will be at its most distant point from the sun in Earth's sky during its pre-dawn apparition.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 May 2025
-
The more apparitions that arrive, the more the Delta blues mashes up with hip-hop, rock, and other styles.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share