hocus-pocus

[hoh-kuhs-poh-kuhs] / ˈhoʊ kəsˈpoʊ kəs /

NOUN

sleight of hand

Synonyms

STRONG

abracadabra artifice cant chant charm cheating chicanery conjuring deceit deception delusion flimflam fraud gibberish hoax humbug imposture incantation jargon juggling legerdemain magic mummery mystification nonsense occultism rigmarole spell swindle trick trickery

WEAK

gobbledegook hocus magic words monkey business mumbo jumbo open sesame sleight of hand smoke and mirrors

Antonyms

STRONG

fact frankness honesty honor openness reality sense standard truth truthfulness uprightness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sometimes this hocus-pocus worked wonders; at other times it felt like cheap tricks.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025

Until we all pay attention to what matters, the fee hocus-pocus will never stop.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

When Becky isn’t dealing with the repercussions of using hocus-pocus to fix her life, she’s conversing with her dead daughter or stepping into Rebecca’s memories.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2022

Even up close, it was impossible to tell whether it was all sleight of hand or real hocus-pocus.

From Washington Post • Oct. 21, 2021

"And what makes you so sure that science is so reliable? Or that the university crowd has any better answers than the hocus-pocus gang?"

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

hocus-pocus

Example Sentences

Related Words