1
as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
the hope that there was some bewitchment that would turn their jerky son-in-law into a prince
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in witchcraft
the power to control natural forces through supernatural means
while stuck in traffic, I could have used a bit of bewitchment to clear the road of other drivers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bewitchment
Her work, then, is the work of resuscitation via bewitchment.
—
Ocean Vuong, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
But if there is some kind of bewitchment going on in these encounters, Evelyn is entirely immune.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025
Mercury well aspected on the 6th finds you in accord with others and Venus in Pisces accents playfulness on the 8th and romantic bewitchment on the 15th.
—Katharine Merlin, Town & Country, 1 Feb. 2023
One depends on a set of abstract rules; the other on a sequence of mutual bewitchments.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2019
Here, where both land and life are flat, the privations of rural teenage existence yield wild and elemental bewitchments.
—New York Times, 1 June 2017
The ergot fungus grows on cereals such as rye and produces several neurological symptoms that were historically attributed to bewitchment for many centuries.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Dec. 2015
Ocean Vuong, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
But if there is some kind of bewitchment going on in these encounters, Evelyn is entirely immune.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025
Mercury well aspected on the 6th finds you in accord with others and Venus in Pisces accents playfulness on the 8th and romantic bewitchment on the 15th.
—Katharine Merlin, Town & Country, 1 Feb. 2023
One depends on a set of abstract rules; the other on a sequence of mutual bewitchments.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2019
Here, where both land and life are flat, the privations of rural teenage existence yield wild and elemental bewitchments.
—New York Times, 1 June 2017
The ergot fungus grows on cereals such as rye and produces several neurological symptoms that were historically attributed to bewitchment for many centuries.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Dec. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewitchment
Noun
-
During this spell, Boland barely gave a thing away.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Lydia Ko went through such a spell.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Viral weddings and political controversy While witchcraft is an ancient practice and Etsy witches have existed online for years, interest in buying quick spells online surged in 2025 after several influencers praised their results.—
Pilar Melendez,
NBC news,
26 Dec. 2025
-
The Glinda alternative, Cherry Blossom Bubble ($48), isn’t quite as authentically connected to witchcraft, but then neither is Glinda.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In part, this is just a curse of timing for the tournaments being played.—
The Athletic Tennis Staff,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
In Jujutsu Kaisen, heroic jujutsu sorcerers wage war against demonic creatures called curses and the curse users, who wield jujutsu powers for evil.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Part of me wanted to attribute this beautiful sorcery to extensions, but my beauty editor Spidey sense told me otherwise.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
19 Dec. 2025
-
The trippy visuals are reminiscent of Doctor Strange's sorcery of the Marvel movies as birds and buildings multiple and fold in on themselves.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There are moments when great artists are won over by the magic of certain cities and then forever change the way that the world sees them.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
-
There’s an equally eerie and intriguing magic that comes with venturing into the wilderness beneath the light of a full moon.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bewitchment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewitchment. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share