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
Hank Shteamer, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023
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
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Na’s credits span new generation works from The Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010) to occult thriller The Wailing (2016) and Thai-Korean co-production The Medium (2021).
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Adjective
Speaking of infernal-sounding, pay close attention around the 4:30 mark here, and witness the occult-metal mastery of Mercyful Fate riffsmith Hank Shermann, abetted by his trusty partner Michael Denner.
—Hank Shteamer, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023
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
Verb
Observers located in territories including southern New Zealand and Antarctica will see over 70% of the solar disk occulted by its natural satellite as the eclipse reaches its maximum at 3:41 p.m.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Na’s credits span new generation works from The Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010) to occult thriller The Wailing (2016) and Thai-Korean co-production The Medium (2021).
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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Set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean at the height of summer, the erotic thriller follows Calvin Wells (Funk), a charismatic conman who sets his sights on Katrine Winters (Meadow Williams), a mysterious billionaire widow.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
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For an event celebrating a dark and mysterious being, the vibe is surprisingly uplifting.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Life is mysterious and ambiguous, and so the film to us, is a beautiful representation of that type of experience that is just not captured very often in movies.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
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For over a century, the United States has coercively maintained the base against the wishes of the Cuban government, an arrangement prompting political and legal debates surrounding the territory’s ambiguous sovereignty.—
Miriam Pensack,
The Dial,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At its headquarters, PhDs and technical university graduates work alongside factory workers to create Firmenich’s magic potions.—
Peter Vanham,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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There’s no magic pill to feel better, but sticking to these basics will go a long way.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But this becomes nearly impossible when a dense medium obscures the object.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
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The other names on the list were obscured, leading to widespread fan speculation about his future opponents.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The cryptic video came after one of the ugliest stretches yet in Cardi and Minaj’s decade-long feud.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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This cryptic species, first described in 2001, was among several mammals recorded by trail cameras set up by researchers.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Despite some promising high-concept notions such as an intergalactic federation, mystic beings, parasitic species, a sentient interstellar craft, and Slipstream FTL quantum mechanics, seemingly inevitable creative differences arose as the show progressed.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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In Completedworks’ spring 2026 presentation, the Texan actor and model took the stage as Miss Edie Grey, a television clairvoyant and mystic extraordinaire that can trace the history of objects with her magical touch.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake is about three generations of strong women on an ancestral olive farm and one magical summer that changes everything.—
Rachel Linden,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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The magical experiences and their significant meaning often fade without pre-dosing planning and post-session support.—
Sonia Singh,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The creamy, ultra-pigmented formula contains caffeine and hyaluronic acid to depuff the under eyes, conceal dark under eye circles, and blur fine lines and wrinkles.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
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Some incarcerated men even accused officers of sending people to the SHU to conceal their own abuses.—
Jennifer Gonnerman,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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