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
Over the course of its wildly wonderful seven seasons, the CW series saw its cast solve murders, face off against cults, go to prison, fight bears, go back in time, and gain superpowers — and, somehow, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
—
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
The origins of that industry really are self-help cults from the '70s that use these really kind of barbaric behavioral therapy modification programs.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
A lot of those schools evolved from self-help cults in the 1970s, like Synanon.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 23 Sep. 2025
From vengeful resurrections to satanic rituals, shoplifters waging war on capitalism to secret cults, shadow selves to harrowing births, these genre-defying films crown the Dolls as auteurs, protagonists, dreamers, and disruptors.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
There such a rich history of films about cults.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Unlike cults, whose followers tend to idolize a leader and cut themselves off from society, sovereign citizens operate independently and hold different views about which laws apply to them.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
The game's story operates ambitiously in two timelines and features massive killer robots, cults, and mad Sun Kings, all set against the gorgeous background of the American West.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2024
The Satanic panic was a mass moral panic based on the idea that satanic cults were causing widespread abuse throughout the country.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
The origins of that industry really are self-help cults from the '70s that use these really kind of barbaric behavioral therapy modification programs.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
A lot of those schools evolved from self-help cults in the 1970s, like Synanon.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 23 Sep. 2025
From vengeful resurrections to satanic rituals, shoplifters waging war on capitalism to secret cults, shadow selves to harrowing births, these genre-defying films crown the Dolls as auteurs, protagonists, dreamers, and disruptors.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
There such a rich history of films about cults.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Unlike cults, whose followers tend to idolize a leader and cut themselves off from society, sovereign citizens operate independently and hold different views about which laws apply to them.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
The game's story operates ambitiously in two timelines and features massive killer robots, cults, and mad Sun Kings, all set against the gorgeous background of the American West.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2024
The Satanic panic was a mass moral panic based on the idea that satanic cults were causing widespread abuse throughout the country.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cults
religions
Noun
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Alejandro and his band embrace bomba even more here, dedicating the album’s opener to the genre and leaning into its Afro-Puerto Rican origins and ties to African religions.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
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The region’s 700 million people speak hundreds of languages and follow different religions, and its 11 countries vary in political system, size, geography, and level of economic development.—
SUSANNAH PATTON,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cults. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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