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
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.
—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.
Dictionary Entries Near optical illusion
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“Optical illusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optical%20illusion. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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