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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Examples of optical illusion in a Sentence
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The dark gray frame is part of the artwork that shows 12 different squares layered on top of each other, using light and dark shades of gray to create an optical illusion inspired by Mach Bands, a gradient effect named after physicist Ernst Mach.
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Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 24 June 2024
Scientists don’t really know why this optical illusion happens, but it’s believed to be a combination of how our brain processes visual information and the moon’s size in comparison with smaller objects near the horizon, such as trees or the roofs of houses.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
The sleeves are sheer for a unique optical illusion and have a polka-dot-like pattern for more of a pop.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 16 June 2024
Interestingly, the full moon may appear slightly larger near the horizon due to an optical illusion known as the moon illusion.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for optical illusion 
Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 24 June 2024
Scientists don’t really know why this optical illusion happens, but it’s believed to be a combination of how our brain processes visual information and the moon’s size in comparison with smaller objects near the horizon, such as trees or the roofs of houses.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
The sleeves are sheer for a unique optical illusion and have a polka-dot-like pattern for more of a pop.
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 16 June 2024
Interestingly, the full moon may appear slightly larger near the horizon due to an optical illusion known as the moon illusion.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for optical illusion
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'optical illusion.' 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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“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optical%20illusion. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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