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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
April 25: The moon will occult Regulus again at approximately 8:30 P.M. (depending on your location), though this time it will be best viewed from sites east of the Mississippi, where the pair will be higher in the sky.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2026
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
When To See The ‘snow Moon’ Occult Regulus Just a day after the full wolf supermoon, the near-full moon will occult Regulus for about an hour, as seen from the eastern half of North America.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
April 25: The moon will occult Regulus again at approximately 8:30 P.M. (depending on your location), though this time it will be best viewed from sites east of the Mississippi, where the pair will be higher in the sky.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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Backrooms centers on two people who find a mysterious door in the basement of a furniture showroom.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Feb. 2026
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The mysterious founder of Shein made a rare public appearance Tuesday to hail local government support that helped the Chinese fast-fashion giant grow into a global juggernaut.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There was a short period, near the end of a messy, deeply ambiguous night of football at the Parc des Princes, that could have come directly from May 2025, plucked from the timeline and placed here, a little winter gift from the sporting gods.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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However, because the Supreme Court ruling did not explicitly mandate whether the Treasury must pay back the collected tariff revenue, the path to recovering those funds remains legally ambiguous.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That’s partly because heat pumps work by extracting heat from outdoor air, compressing it and piping it indoors, a thermal magic trick that’s harder to perform in places with subzero winters.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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Iran has used those magic words several times in recent years, including this past week.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thick plumes of black smoke obscured the sky over Puerto Vallarta.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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During his return trip, the subject tried to obscure the camera with foliage.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But others — that triangle, for example — are more cryptic.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
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That cryptic comment came amid widespread speculation about the future of Brown, who expressed his frustrations with the Eagles’ inconsistent pass offense during the season.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At Barclays Center, Florence + the Machine gather participants to complete the spell-casting circle of their mystic and witchy art-pop (April 21-22, 24).—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
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The language has mystic overtones and rhythmic sections; it might be better felt than understood.—
Sarah Hepola,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Even though the word has gotten out about this incredible region in Mexico’s Baja California Sur, Todos Santos remains one of the most magical travel destinations in the entire country.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2026
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This magical one-dish meal cooks all at once, delivering a complete dinner with almost no work at all!—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The candidate diverted funds for personal use, including Las Vegas trips and legal defense against a stalking charge, channeling money through his mother and a friend to conceal the fraud.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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The overall profits conceal significant variation.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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