1
as in fantasies
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
the magician specializes in creating illusions, so that people believe they have seen something when they really haven't
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delusions
a false idea or belief
he had no illusions about how much effort and money the renovation project would require
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of illusions
Any lingering illusions of a comeback ended five minutes later when Zaha cleverly drew a foul from the lunging Sergio Busquets, and the former Crystal Palace winger, the team’s regular penalty taker, generously handed Toklomati the chance for his hat trick.
—
The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Shatter your illusions of love?
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Israel’s action on Tuesday shattered these once reassuring and comforting illusions.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Not even Trump can have any illusions now.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
So, with no illusions, the United States and India should get to work.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025
Eclipses bring truth to the surface, so don’t cling to illusions.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
The creative team includes movement by Steven Hoggett, sets by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music and arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, and illusions and magic by Jamie Harrison.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Small lights pointed at the audience also help to obscure what’s happening onstage, so guests can’t see beyond the illusions.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Shatter your illusions of love?
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Israel’s action on Tuesday shattered these once reassuring and comforting illusions.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Not even Trump can have any illusions now.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
So, with no illusions, the United States and India should get to work.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025
Eclipses bring truth to the surface, so don’t cling to illusions.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
The creative team includes movement by Steven Hoggett, sets by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music and arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, and illusions and magic by Jamie Harrison.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Small lights pointed at the audience also help to obscure what’s happening onstage, so guests can’t see beyond the illusions.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illusions
Noun
-
His storyline becomes a quest for truth within a shelter built on fantasies and populated by liars.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
-
By its thinking, its brand is built on fairytales and fantasies, not taking positions on socially divisive topics, which have come with consequences (Conservatives go to Disney World too).—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As people increasingly turn to AI chatbots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have put a spotlight on their potential to feed into delusions and facilitate a false sense of closeness or care.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
17 Sep. 2025
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Notably, Illinois banned AI therapy after research found chatbot therapists fuel delusions, and California is close to becoming the first state to restrict companion bots to protect kids.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Koreans pursued alternative visions for their country.—
Kornel Chang
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images As students, teachers, and families settle into a new school year, a cohort of school system leaders are laying out bold visions for student improvement.—
Sara Schapiro,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Partnerships like this help to dispel myths and skepticism surrounding LiDAR’s versatility.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Forget the old myths about dressing up or sweet-talking your way to the front.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These aren’t just pilots—they’re young men and women balancing ambition with sacrifice, chasing dreams while missing time with family and friends.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
West Elm’s Open Box Outlet Deals include a variety of stylish furniture and decor to make your backyard the space of your dreams.—
Jamie Weissman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Conducted over the course of several months, a Microsoft postmortem on the Storm-0558 attack revealed several errors that led to the Chinese group slipping past cloud defenses.—
Kevin Purdy,
ArsTechnica,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Many define empathy differently or fail to define it at all; others fail to use control groups, do not report effect sizes, or contain other errors and omissions that make the studies difficult to compare.—
Rachel Pearson,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ellen retreats to her room and daydreams of her father, who understood his headstrong daughter.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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In the Netflix dramedy Too Much, a brokenhearted American, Jess, makes the move across the pond, inspired in part by daydreams of stately castles, rolling green hills and dashing gentlemen professing their ardent admiration.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illusions. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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