as in spells
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
hovering over the sick child, the witch doctor muttered mysterious incantations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of incantations
As prospective farmers struggled to clear forests for rice fields in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Malaya, their efforts might have been accompanied by mystical incantations like this invocation against Iblis, the Devil in Islamic tradition.
—
H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2026
Where ancient midwives had summoned divine assistance by uttering incantations, medieval maternity caregivers called upon saintly mothers by reciting rhythmical charms.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Justin, the believer, is instantly alarmed by how these eerie tapes escalate from cute banter to ghostly crying babies and backward incantations.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s a little bit of mystery with the spirits, incantations and rituals.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2025
Magic, the process of changing reality to your will through incantations, is done in this realm.
—Helen A. Berger, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2023
H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2026
Where ancient midwives had summoned divine assistance by uttering incantations, medieval maternity caregivers called upon saintly mothers by reciting rhythmical charms.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Justin, the believer, is instantly alarmed by how these eerie tapes escalate from cute banter to ghostly crying babies and backward incantations.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s a little bit of mystery with the spirits, incantations and rituals.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2025
Magic, the process of changing reality to your will through incantations, is done in this realm.
—Helen A. Berger, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incantations
Noun
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His coaching career included spells with Lille — where he was named coach of the season — and PSG, before taking charge of Ivory Coast, Algeria, Japan and Morocco.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
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There was no hot water for several spells last winter.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Such rhetoric echoes in official statements as well — in prayers for destruction, in invocations of divine sanction for war and in casual references to catastrophic violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Some of these invocations align with Hegseth’s recurring references to the Crusades in the Middle Ages – a centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims.—
Samuel Perry,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Baseball has always been a sport that believes in the occult — in juju and curses and superstitions.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
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Tens of millions of downloads deep, among discussions regarding ongoing bear curses and the quiet art of being a decent person, Drew Barrymore has asked about boogers and Jane Fonda has asked about hope.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incantations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incantations. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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