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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cult
The brand’s iconic 649 model , originally introduced in 1957 for Turin tram operators, gained cult status when Marcello Mastroianni wore it in the 1961 film Divorce Italian Style.
—
Kate Donnelly, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Members of the religious cult nearly kill her — but are derailed by the Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.)'s siege on their village.
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 26 May 2025
Set during one dizzying weekend at the Kell estate, home to billionaire couple Michaela (Moore) and Peter (Bacon), these top one-percenters are so worshipped and secluded that their immediate social circle resembles a cult more than a community.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Highly thought-of items tend to include cult collections from iconic designers, at top luxury brands - Hedi Slimane, Marc Jacobs, Martin Margiela, or Jil Sander, with prices that can be close to original prices or slightly higher.
—Benjamin Voyer, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cult
Kate Donnelly, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Members of the religious cult nearly kill her — but are derailed by the Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.)'s siege on their village.
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 26 May 2025
Set during one dizzying weekend at the Kell estate, home to billionaire couple Michaela (Moore) and Peter (Bacon), these top one-percenters are so worshipped and secluded that their immediate social circle resembles a cult more than a community.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Highly thought-of items tend to include cult collections from iconic designers, at top luxury brands - Hedi Slimane, Marc Jacobs, Martin Margiela, or Jil Sander, with prices that can be close to original prices or slightly higher.
—Benjamin Voyer, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cult
Noun
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Jon Pertwee - Third Doctor Jon Pertwee introduced audiences to the Doctor in color TV, facing off against the Autons in his first serial.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
29 May 2025
-
The final three episodes jolt audiences in countless directions.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Hajj, the world’s largest annual pilgrimage, begins today in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as over 1 million Muslims travel to the religion's holiest city.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Hundreds of thousands, by some estimates, embraced the religion.—
Foster Klug,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cult. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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