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
Brief, startling moments of illumination are everywhere in its stories; so are all kinds of optical illusions and distortions.
—
Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
What Schiaparelli observed in good faith, and Lowell in blind faith, were optical illusions caused by dust storms and the chance alignment of surface features like craters.
—David Kamp, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
But maybe that was something of an optical illusion.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
Museum of Illusions, an international edutainment franchise, offers interactive optical illusions and sensory experiences.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
What Schiaparelli observed in good faith, and Lowell in blind faith, were optical illusions caused by dust storms and the chance alignment of surface features like craters.
—David Kamp, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
But maybe that was something of an optical illusion.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
Museum of Illusions, an international edutainment franchise, offers interactive optical illusions and sensory experiences.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion
Noun
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Inter basin transfers created the illusion of abundance.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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In the 21st century, the moral entrepreneurs include media personalities and social influencers as well as the nonhuman bots and algorithms whose authority is derived by constructing the illusion of broad consensus.—
Ron Barrett,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But then there’s a game like Sunday’s against the Saints, where the 49ers provided a clear, undeniable reminder that their unique philosophy isn’t a pipe dream, but rather a fully-functioning, if slightly-insane reality.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
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Passive income that scales is a practical strategy, not a pipe dream.—
Justin Donald,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In winter, breath crystallizes in the air, and the animals resemble pale apparitions in an otherworldly landscape of snow and ice.—
Susan Portnoy,
AFAR Media,
3 Oct. 2025
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Forced to participate in increasingly macabre rituals and tests, Giacomo is consumed by the sinister — as apparitions, ghosts and deadly rumors start to accumulate.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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