hocus
17
9.3
- noun
- /ˈhoʊkəs/
- Do you really think that this hocus-pocus spirit stuff is gonna help us now?
- hocus-pocus
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Watch on YouTubeIt's not a New Age woo woo hocus pocus field.
- It's not a New Age woo woo hocus pocus field.
- So this is, you know, while the places you take it can vary depending on what you're describing, this is not again, in the realm of sort of, you know, hocus pocus.
- The labyrinth hocus pocus, which is, you know, all the things we always watch on repeat anyway.
Examples
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Well, I caught Marconi's act in Vegas, and your story sounds like a lot of the same kind of hocus-pocus to me.
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Well, it was all a great hocus-pocus.
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There is no hocus-pocus involved.
Fiction book (1993) -
I wanted no more hocus-pocus.
Fiction book (1990) -
All the hocus-pocus has got me curious.
Fiction book (1992) -
Unlike those other two bubbles, there is no artificial hocus-pocus going on with the current state of oil prices.
Blog text (11) -
I don't believe in magic, a lot of superstitious hocus-pocus.
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This hocus-pocus alters nothing.
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Priests, even defrocked priests, don't go in for hocus-pocus.
Fiction book (1991) -
The magician amazed the audience with his clever hocus that made a rabbit disappear.
Synonyms
76
7.4
A false show that hides what is really happening
60
7.7
A clever trick to deceive someone
26
4.9
To use dishonest ways to cheat people
24
7.4
Actions that hide the truth by making things look better
18
8.1
Words or actions that trick people by seeming magical
12
4.9
An unfair action meant to harm or cheat someone
12
7.1
An action or statement that hides the real reason behind something
10
8.1
A clever trick that deceives people or hides the truth
8
9.3
Tricks people use to deceive others to get money or advantage
6
6.8
A thing or action made to trick people into thinking it is real
4
7.5
A false act or story that tries to trick people, often to make them laugh
4
6.3
An invented story or plan made to trick people
3
9.6
Talk that tries to trick people with false statements
3
9.9
Hiding your true feelings or intentions by pretending
2
4.3
A trick that makes something look like real magic
2
9.9
A trick done to cheat or fool people
1
8.5
A secret plan to trick people by making something seem accidental
1
5.7
Making facts or numbers seem better than they are
1
9.9
Dishonest actions that try to trick people
1
9.7
Dishonest words or actions that try to trick people
1
9.9
Tricky or dishonest actions used to confuse people and gain advantage
1
8.3
Cheating people to get their money or an advantage
A dishonest change of facts or numbers to hide the truth
Words or actions that try to trick people into thinking things are better than they are
Antonyms
Compounds
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hocus comes from the magic phrase hocus pocus, which long ago meant a secret or strange formula and may link to the Latin hoc est corpus 'this is the body' that sounded like a spell. That's why a hocus can mean a trick or act that tries to fool people.