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
Then, in what might be one of the most fitting metaphors of parenting and family-building in horror-comedy history, everyone—Rohan, Josh, their parents, their partner's parents, and even their friend—start screaming the same garbled Latin incantation in an effort to confuse the demon.
—
Annabelle Canela, Parents, 26 Mar. 2025
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
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
Annabelle Canela, Parents, 26 Mar. 2025
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
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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Earlier in the day, Council members grilled administration officials over their outreach to homeless New Yorkers during the cold spell.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Early warm spells can encourage spring-flowering bulbs to emerge before the risk of cold damage has passed.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But, after Hume, liberals came increasingly to find even the barest invocation of metaphysical principles to be an embarrassment.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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Their removal to El Salvador came even as Boasberg, in a ruling at the time, blocked the deportations and ordered any flights carrying migrants subject to the presidential invocation to return to the United States.—
Gary Grumbach,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The tabloids go occult, explaining death after death through the logic of the Kennedy curse.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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We were drawn to the emotional weight of estranged siblings and the idea of a curse that’s passed down, not just through folklore, but through family trauma.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incantation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incantation. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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