How to Use illusive in a Sentence

illusive

adjective
  • Safety and freedom are illusive in the land of the free, no matter how fast or far that train goes.
    Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2021
  • But this year don't knock yourself out trying to find the illusive perfect Mother's Day gift.
    Amanda Walker, AL.com, 8 May 2017
  • Now, thanks to Amazon Prime Day, the illusive perfect swimsuit also happens to be on sale for $19.
    Lex Goodman, Forbes, 22 June 2021
  • Things may not come easily, and success may be illusive.
    Courant Community, 3 July 2017
  • The black Plymouth hummed along the hot desert road with four good tires and much pavement to conquer, passing shepherds herding sheep towards an illusive oasis.
    Birmingham Magazine, AL.com, 19 May 2017
  • Over history, people have chased the illusive goal of living longer through pills, potions, and fountains of everlasting youth.
    Liz Stinson, Allure, 18 Aug. 2020
  • In Church, several pews full of people are cropped into an oblique image that captures a moment in time, seizing an illusive memory.
    John Zotos, Dallas News, 4 Nov. 2020
  • For now though the illusive fast radio burst will continue to be a source of intrigue for astronomers and cosmologists who will continue waiting to find the answers of what lies between us and everything else.
    Shannon Stirone, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2016
  • Gonzaga, once pesky upstart and now Sweet 16 fixture, is still seeking that illusive first national title.
    Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2022
  • Dreamy, illusive, and sentimental Neptune will be retrograde in Pisces from June 30 to December 6.
    Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 4 Jan. 2023
  • African American gestures can be quiet and illusive, or vibrant and confident.
    Maya Phillips, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2019
  • But Noihsaf is the illusive, Golidlocks-just right amalgamation of selective and delightful.
    Erika Veurink, Vogue, 15 July 2022
  • Equatorial‘s goal, along with others empowered by this emergence, is to cultivate partnerships and foster the untapped Black consumer base, which many agree is due to coffee’s illusive history and lack of marketing and diversity in the space.
    Danielle Bernabe, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2021
  • Happiness is often illusive, especially as the human mind is wired to judge and make comparisons, which often lead to jealousy or dissatisfaction.
    Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022
  • Misdirected faith and beliefs can be illusive and sometimes dangerous.
    Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2023
  • How is the illusive upside somehow beneficial to U.S. citizens?
    Orange County Register, 29 Jan. 2017
  • Years of investment manias and financial machinations that powered the job market have lost potency, exposing longstanding downsides of trade that had previously been masked by illusive prosperity.
    Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2016
  • Unfortunately, teleoperation can be cumbersome, and full autonomy is often illusive.
    Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illusive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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