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
Striping, an optical illusion, comes from the color differences of grass blades bending in opposite directions.
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Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
The optical illusion reminded early settlers of the blockades of wooden stakes, or palisades, built around forts to ward off threats.
—
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Stripes could create an optical illusion of size, and mixing objects of different sizes could change the perception of speed.
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Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 May 2026
Marchant’s references are appropriately heady: psychedelics, flow states, optical illusions, and wormholes.
—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
The optical illusion reminded early settlers of the blockades of wooden stakes, or palisades, built around forts to ward off threats.
—
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Stripes could create an optical illusion of size, and mixing objects of different sizes could change the perception of speed.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 May 2026
Marchant’s references are appropriately heady: psychedelics, flow states, optical illusions, and wormholes.
—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion
Noun
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Cosm has really cut its teeth on a lot of live sports and concert films, with the dome shape and stadium seating designed to give the illusion of being on the field or in the front row.
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Unfortunately, says Bradley Elliott, a researcher at the University of Westminster and trustee for the British Society for Research on Ageing, this is an illusion.
Noun
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Once a pipe dream, the idea of a federal film subsidy now seems like a real possibility.
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October is no longer a pipe dream for the Sox, so plan the rest of your summer accordingly.
Noun
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Reports of strange sounds, apparitions, and unexplained encounters continue to attract visitors.
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Why then, when discussing body image after weight changes, is our culture reaching for the language of vexing apparitions and death?
Noun
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Additional cast members include Lorenzo James Henrie (Fear the Walking Dead), Lorenzo Richelmy (Netflix's Marco Polo), Vincenzo Nemolato (La chimera), and Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding).
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High atop what's known as Northern Kentucky’s Notre-Dame are 58 new terra cotta gargoyles and chimeras watching over the city.
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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