as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
hovering over the sick child, the witch doctor muttered mysterious incantations
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Recent Examples of incantation
Instead, the government simply repeats its incantation of a need to modernize the system and uncover fraud.
—
Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
The story ends in the village of Hammondsport, where Drew was killed, with a kind of incantation of the cycle of life on Keuka Lake.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025
Endgame sorceries, mob-melting moves, and ground-shaking incantations can be yours in next to no time.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Alice draws a circle around Lilia uttering some sort of incantation as Patti LuPone’s witch writhes on the floor in her glittery jump suit and orange coat.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incantation
Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
The story ends in the village of Hammondsport, where Drew was killed, with a kind of incantation of the cycle of life on Keuka Lake.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2025
Endgame sorceries, mob-melting moves, and ground-shaking incantations can be yours in next to no time.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Alice draws a circle around Lilia uttering some sort of incantation as Patti LuPone’s witch writhes on the floor in her glittery jump suit and orange coat.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incantation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incantation
Noun
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During the 2021 winter storm, when a snow spell swept through North Texas, DART had suspended all light-rail services and some bus services due to bad road conditions.—
Suryatapa Chakraborty,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Directed by Joel Thompson, the centuries-old tale of demons, magic spells and a deal with the devil is brought to life with special effects and theatrical stage haze.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One method regularly employed in this annual reflection is the familiar invocation of the Golden Rule.—
Michael Isaacson,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
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The invocation was given by Imam Khalid Latif, the director of the Islamic Center of New York City.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the preview, it was mentioned that Leon has something called the Umbrella curse.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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In the 2002 comedy, McAdams plays a catty teen who's turned into, yep, Saturday Night Live alum Schneider, via a curse.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incantation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incantation. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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