as in illusions
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 illusions
Crew members rushed about, tending to the set’s various optical illusions, which included an Escher-like maze of stairwells, some real, some painted on a matte board, and two performers, playing Chinese folk music, who on closer inspection turned out to be a pair of paper cutouts.
—
Dennis Zhou, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
German vision scientist Michael Bach has a whole host of optical illusions on his website.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
Known for surrealistic designs and sculptural shapes, Harri transformed mostly wide-leg jeans into optical illusions with through prints and gradients.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 29 Sep. 2025
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
Museum of Illusions, an international edutainment franchise, offers interactive optical illusions and sensory experiences.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Dennis Zhou, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
German vision scientist Michael Bach has a whole host of optical illusions on his website.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
Known for surrealistic designs and sculptural shapes, Harri transformed mostly wide-leg jeans into optical illusions with through prints and gradients.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 29 Sep. 2025
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
Museum of Illusions, an international edutainment franchise, offers interactive optical illusions and sensory experiences.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusions
Noun
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Inside a mesmerising hall of mirrors inspired by Houdini's illusions, massages with seasonal Hungarian essential oils and rejuvenating mud wraps release any and all tension.—
Cassie Doney,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Jan. 2026
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Her sister, Kali, has the power to create illusions, so the Eleven that everyone witnessed in her final moments could have been fake, and the real Eleven could have slipped away without being detected.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Music promoters, both craving the one-upmanship and genuine satisfaction of getting a lucrative band back on a stage, have more money at their disposal than ever before to make their pipe dreams a reality.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
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The stalker pipe dreams need to stop here.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The image combines each planet's nightly positions during separate 2025 apparitions, assembled by astrophotographer Petr Horálek, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Sam slips back into her addiction and as her alcoholism worsens, so do the visions and apparitions that seem to be haunting the forest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusions. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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