Definition of cultnext
1
as in audience
a group of people showing intense devotion to a cause, person, or work (as a film) long after it had gone off the air, the TV series continued to have a huge cult

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2
as in religion
a body of beliefs and practices regarding the supernatural and the worship of one or more deities an ancient cult that centered on the worship of the earth as the source of all life

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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 cult Gail Daughtry was directed and cowritten by David Wain, a veteran of the comedy troupe The State and also the director of the 2001 cult hit Wet Hot American Summer; Marino, another State and Wet Hot alumnus, is his cowriter. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026 Letterboxd, the cult favorite social media site for cinephiles, has been shopping itself for months to potential buyers. Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 July 2026 Despite this, the film was a commercial success, grossing more than $30 million domestically, and has developed a cult following. Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026 Sam Raimi directed the first three entries, a trilogy of gnarly cult classics starring Bruce Campbell. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cult
Noun
  • Think early Monkees, but for today’s short-attention-span audience.
    Jack Baruth, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
  • Universal spent $250 million to produce — a staggering cost for any tentpole these days, especially one that’s rated R — and another $125 million to market to global audiences.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 July 2026
Noun
  • The birds, unconstrained by politics and religion, are a ubiquitous site in the Old City that hosts holy sites for the world's three largest monotheistic religions.
    Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 19 July 2026
  • Was Hamrick trying to replace one exclusive vision of race with another exclusive vision of religion on top of the mountain?
    John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cult. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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