subliminal

Definition of subliminalnext
as in simple
functioning outside the area of conscious awareness but acting to influence one's thoughts or feelings A subliminal image was embedded in the advertisement. The subliminal sounds supposedly aid in getting to sleep, but I am skeptical.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of subliminal Rather than questioning the practice of manifesting more broadly, though, Theiadora thinks the problem lies with a handful of rogue subliminal creators. — Daisy Schofield, Allure, 13 July 2026 Drop after drop after drop from the receivers and tight ends — all while Brandon Aiyuk continued to post subliminal messages on social media amid his feud with the 49ers. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 17 June 2026 When Kelli arrives to move into Shamea’s townhouse, the exchange is fraught with what feels like subliminal messages directed at Porsha. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 15 June 2026 His legacy as one of rap’s great subliminal assassins is one of the most impressive parts of his career. — Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for subliminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subliminal
Adjective
  • That single choice unleashes a harrowing chain of strange and terrifying events in the dead of night, turning a simple gesture of kindness into a real-life nightmare.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Waffles and pimento Another enduring element of Chick-fil-A is its famously simple menu.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In those environments, workers are forced to absorb the mechanical friction that the system failed to accommodate.
    — Allan Malcolm, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Traditionally, shrinking these grains required violent mechanical force.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • At the University of Tokyo, researchers have even grown living human skin over robotic digits to wrinkle naturally and mend wounds with collagen.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The moon is a historical landmark — a celestial body continually peppered with robotic landers shot from our home planet, as well as human footprints planted there by a dozen visiting moonwalkers from 1969 to 1972.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Davidsen bucks up her balky husband with a bloodthirsty holler, stiffens her voice against doubt, and, in her final sleepwalking scene, taps into the tender stratum of Lady Macbeth’s subconscious.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Not to mention, all the subconscious terrain, where one wrestles with memory, vulnerability, and presence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Parched fields force hydroponic growers, vegetable farmers and fruit producers to halt harvests, sell off underfed livestock at rock-bottom prices and even return to mechanic jobs to survive.
    — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There are exceptions and one is Hig (Elordi), who before the virus hit was a mechanic living a good life with his pregnant wife and new puppy.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Assistant federal defender Stephen Ferrell, the attorney for Christa Pike, said in a Sunday interview with Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union that his client remains unconscious and intubated in a Nashville hospital.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Being too drunk or high only becomes relevant if the victim was drugged without her consent or knowledge or was unconscious (or otherwise physically unable to communicate unwillingness).
    — Ilana Turko, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The reflex sell-off after Wednesday's Federal Reserve rate hike gave the S&P 500 a momentary test of 7500, which proved a timely shakeout.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Padmini smiled, though this appeared more reflex than friendliness.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Just a few months later, in February 2003—a month before the invasion—Secretary of State Colin Powell presented a dramatic case to the United Nations, citing mobile weapons labs and hidden stockpiles of WMDs as justification for war.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … -- POLITICS IDENTITY HEIST — How a hidden scam plaguing college campuses has racked up a multimillion-dollar price tag.
    — , FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Subliminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subliminal. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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