optical illusion
noun
plural optical illusions
: a misleading image presented to the vision
Zebras look like optical illusions to me. Which are they—black with white stripes or white with black stripes?—
Al Robinson
Al RobinsonThe sun, moon, and planets circle above the terrestrial plane in the region of the equator. Their apparent rising and setting is an optical illusion caused by atmospheric refraction …—Ranger Rick
Ranger RickExamples of optical illusion in a Sentence
The closer building looks larger than the farther one, but it's just an optical illusion. The two buildings are actually the same size.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are a number of optical illusions that pilots have to account for when flying at night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s airplane flying handbook.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2025
Two dozen people had been waiting for this moment, passing the time by handling the store’s menagerie of optical illusions, wooden puzzles and magic-adjacent objects.
—David Segal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
At the last awards ceremony, Heidi Klum wore a gown with cutouts that gave the optical illusion of a bra.
—Marissa Muller, WWD, 2 Feb. 2025
The last sequence is an astonishing optical illusion to behold.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
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Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2025
Two dozen people had been waiting for this moment, passing the time by handling the store’s menagerie of optical illusions, wooden puzzles and magic-adjacent objects.
—David Segal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
At the last awards ceremony, Heidi Klum wore a gown with cutouts that gave the optical illusion of a bra.
—Marissa Muller, WWD, 2 Feb. 2025
The last sequence is an astonishing optical illusion to behold.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for optical illusion
Cite this Entry
“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optical%20illusion. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
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