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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Brandon Aiyuk’s recent emergence on social media now includes his bluntest message yet about a mysterious estrangement with the 49ers.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
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The mysterious illness would later take on the town's name, Lyme disease.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Nonetheless, the series evolves into an elaborate soap opera over its 39 episodes, with complex scheming characters opposing Utena, her relationship with Anthy serving as the lodestar that guides this tragedy towards its ambiguous conclusion.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
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Ruling upends August elections At the center of the controversy is an ambiguous ruling from the Missouri Supreme Court last month that left local election officials scrambling.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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Besides politics, Lasher admits falling hard for magic tricks as a young person and even wrote a popular book about doing tricks.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
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Soccer is ‘magic’ Most of the players were born outside of Haiti, and most have never stepped foot in the country.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The Islamic Republic of Iran has accelerated its executions of dissidents and activists, with the true number of victims likely obscured by the regime’s internet censorship and blackout.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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The old model obscured the relationship between advertiser and editorial.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Her cryptic visions eventually lead her to Daniel and Hugo (Colman Domingo), an advocate for alien disclosure.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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Its plight is spelled out in securities filings containing cryptic language.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One can’t blame Bear (Michael Johnston) for not knowing the object had genuine magical properties.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Only a lucky few get to experience one of the most magical natural light shows.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Located in a region with a rich mining history, the mine was worked in the 1880s before being concealed when the hillside was blasted down.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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It is further alleged that the accused were able to conceal the situation by not allowing the minor access to medical appointments and removing them from church activities, Our Quad Cities reports, citing the affidavits.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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