as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
a Siberian shaman muttering mysterious invocations to ward off evil
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of invocation
Their removal to El Salvador came even as Boasberg, in a ruling at the time, blocked the deportations and ordered any flights carrying migrants subject to the presidential invocation to return to the United States.
—
Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Violette’s nostalgic invocation of the aesthetics of the late ’60s and early ’70s did not so much channel the utopianism of the counterculture as mourn its passing, returning again and again to the grave of the last mythic moment when radical change seemed possible.
—Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
If the goal is to trigger unruly public unrest to justify presidential invocation of the insurrection act as some charge, why not visit the spirited crowds at WWE instead.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Those numbers then plummeted as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted invocation of the Title 42 public health law, allowing CBP to expel migrants more quickly, with restricted pathways to asylum.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for invocation
Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Violette’s nostalgic invocation of the aesthetics of the late ’60s and early ’70s did not so much channel the utopianism of the counterculture as mourn its passing, returning again and again to the grave of the last mythic moment when radical change seemed possible.
—Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
If the goal is to trigger unruly public unrest to justify presidential invocation of the insurrection act as some charge, why not visit the spirited crowds at WWE instead.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Those numbers then plummeted as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted invocation of the Title 42 public health law, allowing CBP to expel migrants more quickly, with restricted pathways to asylum.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for invocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invocation
Noun
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An Orange County Community Development District fell under the spell of Exploding Car Guy’s dirt-digging business.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
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All of us are under the collective spell cast by one of the most fleeting spectacles within the National Park Service.—
Stephanie Pearson,
Outside,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The latest incantation of NVLink provides a scale-up fabric at 3.6 TB/s per GPU, supporting all-to-all collectives in network.—
Karl Freund,
Forbes.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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Fireflies blipped and burned out, and the cicadas joined in an incantation that crescendoed into an ancient whirr.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For Ukraine, the war has been a curse – a curse to survive and adapt long enough to spare Europe’s borders from Russia’s forces and absolve its allies from springing into greater action.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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Indeed, various curses and slurs could be heard shouted from the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall, even during some segments broadcast to audiences in England and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invocation. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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