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
My favorite bits with him are his office decorations, frankly—the rabbit/duck optical illusion statue, showing his mutable nature, and the iceberg poster, hinting at hidden depths.
—
Ars Technica, 25 Mar. 2025
This stunning image by the Hubble Space Telescope contains an optical illusion.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Rag & Bone’s unique digital printing technique creates an optical illusion that gives the bottoms a denim-like effect, straight down to the faux button detailing.
—Melony Forcier, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The 1980s brought an interest in the Necker cube, an optical illusion in which a two-dimensional drawing of a cube is perceived as having three dimensions and two possible spatial orientations.
—News Desk, Artforum, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Ars Technica, 25 Mar. 2025
This stunning image by the Hubble Space Telescope contains an optical illusion.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Rag & Bone’s unique digital printing technique creates an optical illusion that gives the bottoms a denim-like effect, straight down to the faux button detailing.
—Melony Forcier, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The 1980s brought an interest in the Necker cube, an optical illusion in which a two-dimensional drawing of a cube is perceived as having three dimensions and two possible spatial orientations.
—News Desk, Artforum, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optical illusion
Noun
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The entire space was stunned by the illusion of water gushing and animals moving toward the audience.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
-
Donald Trump started selling the illusion of exclusivity half a century ago.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
27 May 2025
Noun
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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
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Abdul Carter falling to No. 4 feels like too much of a pipe dream.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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At the very end of Season 1, Peacemaker appears to be seeing and hearing his father's apparition; presumably Patrick will continue in that capacity and/or in flashbacks.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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As the music plays, apparitions of shamans and African tribal dancers begin to mingle with the crowd.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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