OPTICAL ILLUSION Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

optical illusion

noun

Definition of optical illusion

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of optical illusion Day and night aren't exactly 12 hours long 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. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 This optical illusion, known as a ‘parallax’, often leads to viewers reaching the wrong conclusion and amateur VARs on social media drawing the wrong lines. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Had conservatives taken sexy back, or was this all just an optical illusion, not unlike the kind created by a padded bra or a pair of Spanx? — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Adventure seekers should make time for Xplor’s zip lines and underground cave system, while Xenses provides a playful take on nature complete with optical illusions. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for optical illusion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion

Noun

Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Rubin, who is also a children's book author and magician, has spent years working in the world of illusion and performance.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of illusion

Noun

One is Eye Witness (1987), a wintry landscape of two figures who seem to look away from an apparition of sorts; a skyscraper in the distance bears a resemblance to the Empire State Building.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of apparition

Noun

The new era of worker power that labor advocates proclaimed as the pandemic ebbed was something of a chimera.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Mixed into a suspension of cellulose nanoparticles and then frozen, the customised chimera formed a flexible molecular skeleton that dramatically increases the tensile strength of the surrounding ice.

— Mike McRae September 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of chimera

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optical

optical illusion

optical illusions

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“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of optical illusion

noun

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