trick of the light

noun phrase

: something appearing different from what actually is as a result of the quality of light
The paint looked blue, but it was just a trick of the light.

Examples of trick of the light in a Sentence

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On each side, the craggy rock faces sped back down into the valley below us, as though merely a trick of the light or of perspective. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 There was a time when Marilyn Monroe emerged as an illusion, a trick of the light produced between herself, her studio’s massive press apparatus, and an adoring and vampiric public. Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 9 June 2023 Sports, in this telling, is being used as a distraction, a sleight of hand, a trick of the light. Rory Smith, New York Times, 9 June 2023 Butterfly Valley, Fethiye, Turkey No, that isn’t a trick of the light but the 105 different butterfly species this beach is known for. Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Trick of the light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trick%20of%20the%20light. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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