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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Carlton Reid Based on 20 years of observations by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, new research sheds light on one of the solar system’s most mysterious planets.—
Ryan Waniata,
Wired News,
27 May 2025
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Denim shifts toward a mysterious direction in Blooming Darkness.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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At first unsure, Ester allows the guy to touch her, and as a viewer the scene is ambiguous.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
24 May 2025
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The camera flies out over the water, and neither Cecilie nor the audience gets a definitive answer, with the series coming to an ambiguous and unsettling end.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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There is no magic level of debt-to-GDP that signals disaster since countries with a more resilient economy can service more debt.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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When her typical methods don’t work, Anja turns to a magic mirror, which houses a dark realm, for answers.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Elite’s arrangement with Prime, as a private corporation, obscures details of how millions of its public school dollars are ultimately spent.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 May 2025
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The simple stories of great inventors obscure the fact that technological innovations often have many parents.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Before Tessitore and Barrett could finish arguing, the screen cut out to a cryptic promo from Uncle Howdy, who teased coming after the Tag Team Titles.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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On Thursday, May 29, the 20-year-old shared a cryptic message on Instagram Stories.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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And just like in those films, the magical creatures steal the spotlight.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
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Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were the first actors to play the magical roles, across eight films from 2001 to 2011.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Then, a sliding mechanism was discreetly integrated to allow for a television and soundbar to be concealed behind the panels.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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But that average conceals more-vulnerable pockets in the state: in two counties, one-quarter of children didn’t have their shots, and in eight schools, less than half did.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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