How to Use oxytocin in a Sentence

oxytocin

noun
  • In fact, science has shown that love and fear are both ruled by the same hormone, oxytocin.
    — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 12 Jan. 2023
  • Science has studied how coupons can cause a rise in oxytocin levels.
    — Chavie Lieber, Vox, 1 Nov. 2018
  • Your oxytocin and your happy hormones are just through the roof in those moments.
    — Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The meadow voles don’t have many cell receptors for oxytocin in that spot.
    — Florence Williams, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2022
  • Available oxytocin increases when a male rat bonds with his mate.
    — Brian Hare, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2020
  • Once again, our friend dopamine is part of the mix, regulated by oxytocin.
    — Brandon Keim, WIRED, 16 June 2011
  • For breast milk to be released, there need to be a release of oxytocin, Sargeant says.
    — Amy Haneline, USA TODAY, 6 June 2019
  • This behavior may be linked to oxytocin as well as to other hormones and steroids.
    — Lambeth Hochwald, Parents, 7 Jan. 2024
  • Sure enough, the oxytocin levels went up on both sides of the relationship.
    — Karin Brulliard, chicagotribune.com, 27 Sep. 2019
  • Researchers still have many questions about the effects of oxytocin on lions.
    — Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Mar. 2022
  • But stress and oxytocin don't really play nice with one another.
    — Amy Haneline, USA TODAY, 6 June 2019
  • Petting your dog can stimulate the release of oxytocin, too.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Less stress, more relaxation and a boost of oxytocin (the love hormone) lead to a happier you.
    — NBC News, 2 June 2017
  • Little things like that create oxytocin the bonding hormone.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
  • What's more, when playing with their friends, their brain releases oxytocin which is also known as the love hormone.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Studies in animals have shown that heat stress can increase the amount of oxytocin a mother produces.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN, 2 Dec. 2019
  • People who kiss their pets a lot have a higher level of the bonding hormone oxytocin, Kurz said.
    — Cheryl Higley, cleveland.com, 4 Mar. 2018
  • Both men and women have oxytocin, as well as receptors for the hormone throughout their brains and bodies.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
  • She is laid out on a gurney, breathing in and out as the nurse flicks the needle, shooting oxytocin, prostaglandins into her blood-stream.
    — Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • When humans and dogs look each other in the eye, each species produces oxytocin, the same hormone that bonds mothers to their children.
    — Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Another key hormone is oxytocin, which plays a role in stress regulation.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
  • And several studies suggest that oxytocin acts in reward circuits to shape human bonds as well.
    — Steven Phelps, Scientific American, 18 Jan. 2023
  • In addition, heat increases the levels of oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in labor.
    — Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2019
  • The extra pressure also may signal the brain to release what’s called the love hormone, also known as oxytocin.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Exposure to oxytocin had somehow sensitized their neurons to the cries.
    — Dina Litovsky, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2021
  • According to her, the longer the investment, the more dopamine and oxytocin that release—hormones that can cloud judgment.
    — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Cuddling pets also promotes the release of calming hormones like oxytocin.
    — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Furthermore, only 50% of the cats studied produced any oxytocin at all.
    — Bridget Mallon, ELLE Decor, 2 Feb. 2016
  • Frequent eye contact and a soothing touch can suppress stress hormones and create a spike in oxytocin and endorphins.
    — Ruha Benjamin, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2022
  • Throw a bear hug into the mix — and the accompanying flood of oxytocin — and that old brain circuitry lit up like fireworks.
    — Amy Paturel, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2017

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oxytocin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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