trances

plural of trance
as in reveries
the state of being lost in thought lulled by the sound of the train, she stared out the window in a trance, oblivious to the fact that the conductor was taking tickets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trances
Noun
  • Whether set in Jewish eastern Europe or New York’s Lower East Side, Shtok’s range is on full display, from gossipy melodramas and elegiac reveries to coming of age portraits of shtetl adolescents and immigrant hustlers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Burnett was content to mine references from her own Depression-era youth; her famous maid character, the Charwoman, who became something of a show mascot, harked back to Chaplin’s Little Tramp, wearing a rumpled outfit and performing silent reveries.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The heady scent—a mix of white florals, amber, and sandalwood—induces daydreams of tanning on a white-sand beach.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 May 2026
  • Nina, Karen and Caroline started appearing in my daydreams, full of vigor and life lessons.
    Jennifer Acker, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • At least two studies have found major sporting events are associated with lower suicide rates.
    Aneri Pattani, USA Today, 6 June 2026
  • None of these studies take into account homeowners who opt out only of the costly windstorm coverage specific to hurricane damage, but keep the less expensive general policy, which covers things like fire, theft and general liability.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
Noun
  • Can persuasive storytelling help Americans be more tolerant and accepting of those with different visions for what America ought to be?
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 June 2026
  • The bathrooms are visions of black-and-white marble and black tile, appointed with dual-head showers and a brilliant stand-alone mirror that swivels to catch you at every angle.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Although centered around the cartographer’s task of conducting the Ordnance Survey of 1865, there are flashbacks to the Great Hunger in the 1840s, as well as meditations on movement within and out of the country, taking readers to Italy, Canada, and then back to that unnamed Irish peninsula.
    Nora Biette-Timmons, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • The event will feature an in-gallery tour, meditations, conversation and a reception.
    La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Selzer’s contemplations bring together literature, history, philosophy, medicine, and ruminations.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
  • Internal memos between the justices in 2016 published by The New York Times have created a firestorm around an institution that takes extraordinary measures to keep its contemplations confidential.
    Ella Lee, The Hill, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
  • My husband, inspired by the radio dramas of his childhood, planned the trek with dreams of celebrating, if not re-creating, history.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trances. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on trances

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster