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
In the early evenings of June 8 and 9, Venus and Jupiter will appear to swap spots in the night sky, creating the optical illusion of a double planet, according to EarthSky.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Often, anti-tails are an optical illusion, but 3I/ATLAS' is real.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Appearing at the left tip of NGC 646 is a second galaxy, known as PGC 6014—but their apparent closeness is merely an optical illusion; in truth, PGC 6014 is nearly 45 million light-years closer to Earth.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Dec. 2025
That’s due to the brand’s Liquid Silk Technology, where micro-pigments in the formula scatter light as it’s refracted by the skin, quite literally creating an optical illusion a glowing complexion—all while still maintaining a lightweight feel.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Often, anti-tails are an optical illusion, but 3I/ATLAS' is real.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Appearing at the left tip of NGC 646 is a second galaxy, known as PGC 6014—but their apparent closeness is merely an optical illusion; in truth, PGC 6014 is nearly 45 million light-years closer to Earth.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Dec. 2025
That’s due to the brand’s Liquid Silk Technology, where micro-pigments in the formula scatter light as it’s refracted by the skin, quite literally creating an optical illusion a glowing complexion—all while still maintaining a lightweight feel.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion
Noun
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As Nick and Jacki’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
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This work by Franco-Isreali artist Yorame Mevorach, also known as Oyoram, gives the illusion of swimming along the river’s edge.—
Kasia Dietz,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Professional Women’s Hockey League was but a pipe dream in February 2022 when Kendall Coyne Schofield emphatically declared the urgency needed to address a fractured sport with unrealized potential.—
John Wawrow,
Twin Cities,
4 Feb. 2026
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Launched at the Expo 2025 Osaka last year, what seemed like a pipe dream destined for a 2050 debut, is now expected to have a prototype ready decades ahead of schedule—with the first edition to launch in just four years.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Juggling demanding apparitions alongside staff burnout, family pressures and a coworker who seems to know more about her than expected, the series grounds its supernatural premise in the cultural specificity of the Filipino healthcare experience.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
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An apparition will appear before us.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Look behind that curtain and see that the great and powerful Oz is a chimera.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Animal Legal Defense Fund, an animal advocacy organization, argued that if such chimeras gained humanlike awareness, they should be treated as human research subjects.—
Monika Piotrowska,
The Conversation,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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