1
as in curse
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
the witch cast a spell that turned the prince into a toad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bout
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
a dizzy spell that caused me to fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in while
an indefinite but usually short period of time
come rest a spell
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to possess
to cast a spell on
it was as if he had spelled the public into believing his ridiculous claims
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to mean
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
that summertime combination of hot temperatures and equally hot tempers can spell trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spell
Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Born in Catalonia, Munoz spent three years in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy but, after a spell at Catalan youth side CF Damm, joined Real Madrid as an 18-year-old.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Dan Duggan, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Aaron Judge, the annual MVP candidate, is injured and typically that has spelled doom for the Yankees.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spell
Noun
The former Real Madrid midfielder won six Champions Leagues during a trophy-laden spell in Spain.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Born in Catalonia, Munoz spent three years in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy but, after a spell at Catalan youth side CF Damm, joined Real Madrid as an 18-year-old.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Verb
Thibodeaux will spell those players and likely shift inside more on passing downs.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Aaron Judge, the annual MVP candidate, is injured and typically that has spelled doom for the Yankees.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell
Noun
-
Such is the blessing and curse of summer produce.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 June 2026
-
The Curse of Billy Penn lived on for decades, and now the modern-day Rocky statue curse appears to have claimed its latest victim.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs gets most of the buzz, but there was an even worse bout of mass death ages before the dinosaurs said goodbye.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
-
But for her, his TikToks helped bring joy during a deep bout of depression stemming from a traumatic brain injury.—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest lend an auteur’s touch to the material, creating something that stands on its own while still bearing some of the MCU’s crowd pleasing flourishes.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
-
Sacramento has a severe deficit spending problem that is projected to last for a while.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Al Qutaibi will serve 30 days in jail on charges of conspiracy to transport unstamped cigarettes, conspiracy to possess a counterfeit tax stamp, and possession of more than 30 cartons of unstamped cigarettes.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Renard possesses significant international experience, having led Morocco at the 2018 World Cup in their first appearance since 1998, and guiding Saudi Arabia to a shock group stage win over eventual champions Argentina in 2022.—
Sam Joseph,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
DeSantis said last month that the detention facility was always meant to be temporary.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
Two rescues within the past week in San Miguel County are a reminder about preparation in Colorado's mountains as the arrival of warm weather means more people in the mountains.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The effect, when it is sung in unison by a crowd of 80,000 people, is akin to a kind of incantation.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
-
There is a bopping, rhythmic assonance to Ginsberg’s unspooling lines, more incantation than poetry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The Kerch road and rail crossing, opened by Putin in 2018, has been the target of previous Ukrainian attacks.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
Two other individuals survived that attack, the military said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The ambiguity of Chinese, the way meaning pools in the spaces between words, resists translation.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
Other spaces honor former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and others.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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