as in hypnosis
the art or act of inducing in a person a sleeplike state during which he or she readily follows suggestions
some people have undergone hypnotism in order to induce them to give up their smoking habit
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Recent Examples of hypnotism
There’s something like a collective hypnotism happening.
—
John Bleasdale, Variety, 7 Aug. 2023
Which is exactly what the 750iL does—in a fine, silent style made up of equal parts hypnotism and seduction.
—Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 8 Apr. 2023
Perhaps the most iconic hypnotism scene in movie history involves a teacup and a spoon in Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning 2017 film Get Out.
—Adario Strange, Quartz, 16 Aug. 2022
In the popular consciousness, hypnotism is the stuff of vampires, side shows and watch-waving therapists.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hypnotism
John Bleasdale, Variety, 7 Aug. 2023
Which is exactly what the 750iL does—in a fine, silent style made up of equal parts hypnotism and seduction.
—Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 8 Apr. 2023
Perhaps the most iconic hypnotism scene in movie history involves a teacup and a spoon in Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning 2017 film Get Out.
—Adario Strange, Quartz, 16 Aug. 2022
In the popular consciousness, hypnotism is the stuff of vampires, side shows and watch-waving therapists.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hypnotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypnotism
Noun
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The retreat offers unique services such as hypnosis, past-life regression analysis, saging, and aura readings.—
Ronny Maye,
Essence,
7 Aug. 2025
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Each morning, Alistair had performed an act of meditative hypnosis on himself.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Sheer repetitions on the training ground were La Volpe’s best method of instilling his ideas, insisting that his players practice multiple ‘salidas’ on the left and right side of the pitch in every session to build their muscle memory, trust and automatisms.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
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At the club, time allows automatisms and structure to become habit.—
Philipp Lahm,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Barrymore’s turn in the lead role is itself a feat of silver-screen mesmerism, portraying Svengali as a cruel yet magnetic figure who wields his own charisma as an instrument of terrible power.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2025
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The combination of cultural individualism, industrialization, and technological advance created a cultural moment in which audiences were open to and actively explored the idea of unseen forces (hey, if telegraph and photography worked, why not mesmerism, spiritualism, or palm-reading?).—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hypnotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypnotism. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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