1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the occult ways in which the human mind works
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2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
an occult reference in the text that has puzzled scholars ever since
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3
as in magic
having seemingly supernatural qualities or powers
Great Britain's Stonehenge is one of those occult places where people expect something of cosmic significance to happen
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as in to obscure
to keep secret or shut off from view
occulted their house from prying eyes by planting large trees around it the actor's private life had long been occulted by a contrived public persona
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of occult
Hank Shteamer, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023
It’s a determinedly non-jokey supernatural thriller in which a group of Adelaide teens get in way over their heads playing an occult party game.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Want to see Jupiter occulting a quasar?
—Big Think, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Adjective
Speaking of infernal-sounding, pay close attention around the 4:30 mark here, and witness the occult-metal mastery of Mercyful Fate riffsmith Hank Shermann, abetted by his trusty partner Michael Denner.
—Hank Shteamer, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023
It’s a determinedly non-jokey supernatural thriller in which a group of Adelaide teens get in way over their heads playing an occult party game.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023
Verb
As the disk begins to occult T Tauri North, the star's light will be filtered through the gas and dust, and begin to be absorbed at certain wavelengths by molecules within the disk.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Want to see Jupiter occulting a quasar?
—Big Think, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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In The Old Guard 2, following on from the climax of the first film, Andy must come to terms with her newfound mortality while preparing to face a mysterious foe (played by Uma Thurman).—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
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Before long, his life is plagued by a series of mysterious, sinister incidents that threaten to upend his success and bring about a most violent demise.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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In fact, she was designed to be ethnically ambiguous for that reason, suggested Carlos Cortés, professor emeritus in history at UC Riverside, who consulted the creative team.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
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Emojis in texts: More than just fun, a tool for connection While emojis can sometimes be ambiguous or misunderstood, especially in sarcastic or complex conversations, their overall impact is positive.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Alcaraz will present a far more mobile unit of magic tricks.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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It’s got the big song and dance numbers, it’s got fun characters, it’s got magic tricks.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
Verb
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But this fake overlay simply obscures the app as it is being attacked in the background.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Some staffers also have seen the whole affair as obscuring standout work in the news division, particularly in the early months of the Trump administration.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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On Thursday, Bloom shared a series of cryptic quotes from Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung on Instagram.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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The team also discovered two more new species: the cryptic Namib day gecko and the miniature Namib day gecko.—
Aspen Pflughoeft
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
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In an era when nearly everything feels politicized and uncertain, these mystic tools offer something precious: a means of reconnecting with ourselves.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who listens to the Randolphs, who live on the property of the Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery, will get an earful on how beautiful, magical and serene the Big Cypress National Preserve is.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
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Many climate researchers consider this magical thinking.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Speculation online has included allegations that the federal government was concealing information to shield powerful and prominent figures who were allegedly named in case records.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
11 July 2025
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Meanwhile, her makeup turned more matte with concealed under eyes like at The Blonds Fall 2014 show.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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