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Definitions

optical illusion

NOUN
trick on the eyes
Synonyms
WEAK
apparition fata morgana hallucination illusion mirage phantasm phantasmagoria specter trick of eyesight trick of light trick of the eyesight vision visual fallacy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This is actually something of an optical illusion, for the options are not getting more expensive in terms of price as the earnings date approaches.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Doing something your brain tells you is structurally impossible was like inhabiting an optical illusion and we all laughed as we scaled the multi-tiered falls with the occasional assistance of a tethered rope.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Stormont officials have commissioned consultants to help address an "optical illusion" along a Belfast footpath that has caused pedestrians to trip and fall.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2025

Is a rat hole the same as an optical illusion deemed to be a holy image?

From Slate • Feb. 11, 2024

Or that optical illusion with the staircases that never stop going upward.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy