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
When viewing the artwork, the colors vibrate and create an optical illusion.
—
Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Day and night aren't exactly 12 hours on the day of the equinox because the Earth's atmosphere refracts, or bends, light in an optical illusion that brings more daylight than there really is.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2025
Rag & Bone’s revolutionary printing technique, Miramar, creates an optical illusion that makes any material look like denim.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2025
On social media, it’s been described as grandma’s bathroom tile floor, an optical illusion and a magic eye poster.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Day and night aren't exactly 12 hours on the day of the equinox because the Earth's atmosphere refracts, or bends, light in an optical illusion that brings more daylight than there really is.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2025
Rag & Bone’s revolutionary printing technique, Miramar, creates an optical illusion that makes any material look like denim.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2025
On social media, it’s been described as grandma’s bathroom tile floor, an optical illusion and a magic eye poster.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion
Noun
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According to the documentary, De Beers created an illusion of diamond scarcity by controlling supply and demand.—
Garth Friesen,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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These individuals, who have spent their lives cultivating their skills, embody a kind of magic that has nothing to do with illusions or technology but everything to do with the human spirit.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Playoff hopes have suddenly become a playoff pipe dream for the Columbus Blue Jackets.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
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Getty Images Getty Images Since then, going lighter with my natural hair color became a pipe dream of sorts.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Todd, the neighbor, even the strange apparitions are obfuscated simply because of their height, which adds to the eerieness of Indy’s experience but also makes Indy’s recognition of Todd’s voice all the more emotional.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
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In the writer-director’s latest horror flick, The Monkey, there is no malignant apparition, and death doesn’t lurk or stalk.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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