How to Use optical illusion in a Sentence

optical illusion

noun
  • But these drivers are, in a sense, an optical illusion.
    — Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 2023-07-27
  • The sleeves are sheer for a unique optical illusion and have a polka-dot-like pattern for more of a pop.
    — Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 2024-06-16
  • And for those of you who like to give yourself optical illusions, here’s how to make a face from arches.
    — Cecil Beaton, Vogue, 2018-12-31
  • Later, the lines were proved to be nothing more than an optical illusion.
    — TheWeek, 2020-08-16
  • Then later that evening, the moon dog, a rare optical illusion, emerged low over the horizon.
    — Norimitsu Onishi Nasuna Stuart-Ulin, New York Times, 2023-06-04
  • But maybe that was something of an optical illusion.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Straw raced to the warning track before an optical illusion took place.
    — Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 2022-10-02
  • This isn’t the first optical illusion look that Kenny has served.
    — Briannah Rivera, Seventeen, 2023-01-05
  • Alas, a big ol' puddle was the culprit of the optical illusion.
    — Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2022-05-04
  • Don’t dwell on how this trade looks; in a vacuum, a laundry list of draft picks can work as an optical illusion.
    — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, 2019-06-21
  • This produces the optical illusion that, in fact, your shirt is tucked in right at the top of your skirt, which is certainly not rolled.
    — Kelly Conaboy, The Cut, 2018-05-07
  • The singer took to Instagram to share some fun snapshots in an optical illusion of a dress.
    — Chaise Sanders, Country Living, 2021-10-16
  • All interlock to create an optical illusion that makes my brain hurt (in a good way). 7.
    — Devon Abelman, Allure, 2018-03-09
  • The technique creates an optical illusion of jeans being stuck or glued to the wearer.
    — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 2024-07-19
  • Amdam likens them to the classic optical illusion (shown on the right) which depicts both a young debutante and an old crone.
    — Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 2012-09-16
  • From a plane, the backlit dunes look like an optical illusion, gentle sand waves rippling out to the horizon’s edge.
    — Susanna Schrobsdorff, Time, 2021-02-07
  • Break out of your blazer dress box and try this take from Self-Portrait that feels like an optical illusion.
    — Aemilia Madden, Harper's BAZAAR, 2022-10-24
  • Some fans on social media worried that one member of the team may have ended up in a tree, but that turned out to be an optical illusion.
    — al, 2022-01-01
  • By the end of next week, Mercury will switch acts in the optical illusion in our sky, moving out of retrograde.
    — Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 2022-05-28
  • Of course, the vanishing act is little more than an optical illusion to stargazers on Earth.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 2024-11-30
  • The jewel colors in this photo are what caught my eye first, followed by the optical illusion of a fist coming out of the sky to punch me in the face.
    — Kathryn Prociv, Washington Post, 2017-10-20
  • The trippy look was almost an optical illusion, with a trompe l’oeil, lapel and briefcase designed on the overcoat.
    — Rachel Raposas, People.com, 2025-05-06
  • After all, a solar eclipse—when the Moon appears to cross the disk of the Sun—is an optical illusion.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2022-06-30
  • There are suits made with tulle and faux-fur and fruit-shaped appliqué, along with optical illusion bikinis and suits that seem to defy the laws of gravity.
    — Teddy Minford, Condé Nast Traveler, 2023-03-13
  • Risks are minimal, due to the fact that it's supposed to be a brief optical illusion; hence why celebrities use face lift tape for big events and red carpets.
    — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 2022-07-07
  • At the last awards ceremony, Heidi Klum wore a gown with cutouts that gave the optical illusion of a bra.
    — Marissa Muller, WWD, 2025-02-02
  • By the time the addictive, shuffling beat kicks in, the optical illusions commence as Grande then struts onto the ceiling.
    — Abby Jones, Billboard, 2018-04-20
  • The mirror that spans from floor to ceiling at the rear of the kitchen offers an optical illusion of space expanding beyond the confines of the apartment—a clever trick.
    — Kimberley Mok, Treehugger, 2023-03-02
  • What Schiaparelli observed in good faith, and Lowell in blind faith, were optical illusions caused by dust storms and the chance alignment of surface features like craters.
    — David Kamp, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Museum of Illusions, an international edutainment franchise, offers interactive optical illusions and sensory experiences.
    — Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Some of 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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