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
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2026
Of course, many other (fainter) stars will also be occulted during the moon's passage through the cluster.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 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
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
Of course, many other (fainter) stars will also be occulted during the moon's passage through the cluster.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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The truth is, presence isn’t mysterious at all.—
Daniel Coyle,
Big Think,
3 Feb. 2026
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In Season 2, eager to take on another big undercover case, Charles Nieuwendyk (Danson) gets his chance when a mysterious blackmailer targets Wheeler College president Jack Berenger (Max Greenfield), who enlists Charles to go undercover as a professor.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These images are interwoven with letters to an ambiguous, ageless, and perhaps illusory recipient.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
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Loper Bright concerns statutory language that is ambiguous; if a court concurs that the language is clear, the answer will be clear too.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And the magic elixir is able to turn garbage into Jan Ravnik, Swift's pinup backup dancer.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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Three was the magic number on inspections for Uncle Joe’s.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The video is obscured at that point.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
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Mendonça uses these surreal flourishes to reimagine the country of his youth—a place where gruesome crimes were committed by people determined to obscure the evidence.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At the end of the video, Swift shows a clip from their appearance on the Graham Norton Show in which Gleeson jokes about wanting to star in a music video and Swift giving a surprised, but cryptic smile.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
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Bryony hopes that sharing her story will help spread awareness about cryptic pregnancies, or stealth pregnancies.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Dera was founded in 1948 by the mystic Mastana Balochistani in the Haryana city of Sirsa, near the northern state’s borders with Punjab, India’s breadbasket, and the desert state of Rajasthan.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Although Nuccio is as down to earth as anyone could be, and definitely not a mystic, there can be no disputing his stature as a remarkable man.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Topeka native led Wichita State to a magical Sweet Sixteen run in 2006; sent Texas A&M to four consecutive NCAA appearances; and most recently guided Maryland to five NCAAs — including a Sweet Sixteen — in 11 years as the Terrapins’ head coach.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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The panel will turn on adapting the novel’s magical realism, shaping its multi-generational story for an eight‑episode series and the creative collaboration behind bringing this beloved classic to global audiences, the Berlinale Series Market confirmed Wednesday.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Iranian economy is a grand hall of mirrors, concealing criminal theft on an epic scale.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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Economic growth fueled by foreign borrowing created an illusion of stability that concealed deepening structural decay.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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