1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the occult ways in which the human mind works
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2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
an occult reference in the text that has puzzled scholars ever since
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3
as in magic
having seemingly supernatural qualities or powers
Great Britain's Stonehenge is one of those occult places where people expect something of cosmic significance to happen
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as in to obscure
to keep secret or shut off from view
occulted their house from prying eyes by planting large trees around it the actor's private life had long been occulted by a contrived public persona
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of occult
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023
Other screening options include annual fecal occult blood tests which look for blood in the stool.
—Janelle Chavez, CNN, 19 Jan. 2023
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Of course, many other (fainter) stars will also be occulted during the moon's 2-to-3-hour passage through the cluster.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Adjective
It’s a determinedly non-jokey supernatural thriller in which a group of Adelaide teens get in way over their heads playing an occult party game.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023
Other screening options include annual fecal occult blood tests which look for blood in the stool.
—Janelle Chavez, CNN, 19 Jan. 2023
Verb
When was it occulted by the moon?
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Of course, many other (fainter) stars will also be occulted during the moon's 2-to-3-hour passage through the cluster.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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Four thousand years ago, however, Crete was also a crossroads dominated by a mysterious and largely still poorly understood Bronze Age culture that predated classical Greece.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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The movie is led by Tom Hiddleston as the titular, mysterious Chuck Krantz, with a supporting cast that includes Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Annalise Basso and Kate Siegel.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Without a clear roadmap, friendship breakups often feel ambiguous, or sometimes lead to unnecessary hurt.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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The Food and Drug Administration’s April 22 news release contains some ambiguous language.—
Andrea Ruth,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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This was a preposterous undertaking, like trying to rank the various pixels of a magic eye poster.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
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To make magic shell: Combine 1 cup of chocolate chips and about 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The raw data obscures just how substantial and prolonged the downfall of the little guy in the NBA has been.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
6 June 2025
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Complicating matters further are sophisticated networks of onshore and offshore actors who facilitate illicit operations by obscuring catch data, obfuscating labor abuses, and lobbying to maintain lax regulations, according to C4ADS.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Gad teased work on the project in 2024 with a cryptic Instagram post that blocked out certain sections on the script’s cover page.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
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This Instagram comment comes amid a series of cryptic social media posts shared by Bieber and growing concerns for him.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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This book contains the first English translation of the writings of af Klint, a Swedish painter and mystic.—
Melissa Febos,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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The author also varies the texture of the book by inserting poems, quotations, dramatic dialogue, a veiled account of her unhappy days at boarding school, and a lengthy digression on the German mystic Friederike Hauffe, who claimed to be clairvoyant and to communicate with spirits.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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There’s something a little bit magical happening with weatherproof sofas and couches right now.—
Erika Owen,
Vogue,
7 June 2025
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It’s also got a wealth of signature natural wonders to show off, from the mountains to the sea, just as the Paris Games featured the Eiffel Tower and the magical evening skyline.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Millions of low-cost devices for media streaming, in-vehicle entertainment, and video projection are infected with malware that turns consumer networks into platforms for distributing malware, concealing nefarious communications, and performing other illicit activities, the FBI has warned.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
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On December 27, 1908, Boy Staunton (a literal boy, double-underlining Davies’s interest in archetypes) throws a snowball with a stone concealed in it at his friend Duncan.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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