as in religions
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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Recent Examples of cults
People leave cults, but the cults do not always leave them.
—
Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
As with many cults, the multi-layered aspects of Eternal Values can be dizzying to track.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
In addition to the requisite charismatic leader, MAGA also shares other key characteristics with cults, like black-and-white thinking, and viewing politics as a fight of good versus evil.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026
Their cinematic pairing has delivered a true thriller in a fascinating setting with the world of cults and their hold on those most vulnerable.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 15 May 2026
There is an overlap of subject matter in these two books—cults, obviously, but also both involve thinking about why there seemed to be such a proliferation of them in the 1970s.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Today, these worshippers seek to revive the cults of mother deities in order to return to this harmonious way of life.
—Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
This all-new podcast takes listeners to the small town of Elberton, GA and on a wild ride through granite quarries, graves, cults, Confederate monuments, a swatting raid, and A LOT of explosives.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Viewers can expect coverage of alien conferences, crypto-cults and micronations.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
As with many cults, the multi-layered aspects of Eternal Values can be dizzying to track.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
In addition to the requisite charismatic leader, MAGA also shares other key characteristics with cults, like black-and-white thinking, and viewing politics as a fight of good versus evil.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026
Their cinematic pairing has delivered a true thriller in a fascinating setting with the world of cults and their hold on those most vulnerable.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 15 May 2026
There is an overlap of subject matter in these two books—cults, obviously, but also both involve thinking about why there seemed to be such a proliferation of them in the 1970s.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Today, these worshippers seek to revive the cults of mother deities in order to return to this harmonious way of life.
—Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
This all-new podcast takes listeners to the small town of Elberton, GA and on a wild ride through granite quarries, graves, cults, Confederate monuments, a swatting raid, and A LOT of explosives.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Viewers can expect coverage of alien conferences, crypto-cults and micronations.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cults
religions
Noun
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Hegseth ordered this latest move to streamline the number of religions in a May 20 memo sparking the controversy with the Mormon lawmakers.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
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For Yantrasast, part of Bukhara’s appeal lies in its history as a Silk Road city where cultures, religions, and ideas mixed for centuries.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cults. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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