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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The blood moon is a trick of the light, when the typical whitish looking moon becomes red or ruddy brown. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025 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. Christian Kracht, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 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 19 Mar. 2025.

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