1
as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
originally, an abracadabra was a cryptogram of the word "abracadabra" that was repeated in diminishing form until it disappeared entirely—supposedly just like the targeted evil or misfortune
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2
as in nonsense
unintelligible or meaningless talk
after some abracadabra the spiritualist announced that we had made contact with "the other side"
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Recent Examples of abracadabra
But Trump’s Hollywood gambits well surpass that obvious bit of abracadabra.
—
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Make the Boston Celtics vanish on abracadabra?
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022
His utilization of terms like irreducible complexity is about as substantive as chanting abracadabra, but probably just as effective in convincing fellow travelers already sympathetic to his position as shamans were in the days of yore.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2011
That’s seven steps to make abracadabra, whose molecular assembly number is thus seven.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
It's got lots of entries for inquisitive younglings, from abracadabra to zombies.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2011
And there’s an abracadabra quality of pulling a bed out nowhere.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022
The smoke from Luka Doncic’s latest abracadabra moment still hangs in the air, along with our collective state of disbelief.
—Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2021
When someone pushed the button — abracadabra — the bus went from Boston to New York, just like that.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Make the Boston Celtics vanish on abracadabra?
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022
His utilization of terms like irreducible complexity is about as substantive as chanting abracadabra, but probably just as effective in convincing fellow travelers already sympathetic to his position as shamans were in the days of yore.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2011
That’s seven steps to make abracadabra, whose molecular assembly number is thus seven.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
It's got lots of entries for inquisitive younglings, from abracadabra to zombies.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2011
And there’s an abracadabra quality of pulling a bed out nowhere.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022
The smoke from Luka Doncic’s latest abracadabra moment still hangs in the air, along with our collective state of disbelief.
—Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2021
When someone pushed the button — abracadabra — the bus went from Boston to New York, just like that.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abracadabra
Noun
-
Some only appear when visitors cast spells with interactive wands, like the mischievous spitting grindylow in the fountain by the Battle at the Ministry entrance or the mysterious demiguise in a window near Bar Moonshine.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
-
Players explore the environment using a slew of weapons and magic spells in hidden dungeons, caves, catacombs and more.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
This nonsense all tracks back to a May 9 visit Baraka, McIver and other members of Congress made to a New Jersey immigration detention center.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
Stellar Blade was one of my favorite games of last year, a stellar (ha) action adventure title that did not deserve the culture war nonsense that surrounded it.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
Then, in what might be one of the most fitting metaphors of parenting and family-building in horror-comedy history, everyone—Rohan, Josh, their parents, their partner's parents, and even their friend—start screaming the same garbled Latin incantation in an effort to confuse the demon.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Alice draws a circle around Lilia uttering some sort of incantation as Patti LuPone’s witch writhes on the floor in her glittery jump suit and orange coat.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Trump prattles on about the economy while the actors freeze behind him in their ancient Galilee garb.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths.—
Joshua Cohen,
The New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
This is the familiar mumbo jumbo that Hollywood loves to attach to surfing, to highlight the metaphysical connection that surfers have to the waves, the ocean, and maybe even the cosmos.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Trying to decode that spirit's mystical mumbo jumbo into actionable intelligence is a key part of your effort against the Dreamscourge.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
And given that these are not professional actors, or even (in most cases) people who aspire to be, LaBeouf’s words to them, full of deadly serious jabber about empathy and ego, are pumped up with an intensity that feels overdone and inappropriate.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
-
Worse, such jabber crowds out essential coverage of genuine threats to democracy and the visions of the two parties.—
Jennifer Rubin,
Washington Post,
16 July 2024
Noun
-
In 2023, Voyager 1 started sending gibberish from deep space, but that issue was resolved last year.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
20 May 2025
-
Next to Margaret, one of the two angels holds a book of song, once thought to be a hymn by the English composer Walter Frye but now identified as musical gibberish.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
On December 7, after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford, Newcastle were 12th in the table and, externally, there was chatter about Eddie Howe’s position.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
Suddenly, though, there is a confluence of intriguing points: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that, if the chatter is to be believed, will see resistance in the Senate but that resistance will be about some combination of spending cuts and tax increases.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abracadabra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abracadabra. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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