as in witch
someone who is believed in some cultures to be able to use magic to cure people who are sick, to control future events, etc.
went to the shaman for a remedy
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Recent Examples of shaman
When a 9,000 year-old grave of a shaman was discovered in 1930s Germany, the discovery was quickly politicized to support Nazi propaganda.
—
Greg Dixon, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026
The retreats are usually led by facilitators, shamans or therapists.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The book details the life and otherworldly visions of Black Elk, the Oglala Lakota healer and shaman who bore witness to the horrors of white settler colonialism firsthand, including at the battles of Little Big Horn (1876) and Wounded Knee (1890).
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Carved from whale bones, reindeer antlers and walrus tusks, these fierce talismans are vengeful spirits traditionally created by shamans to destroy enemies.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shaman
Greg Dixon, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026
The retreats are usually led by facilitators, shamans or therapists.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The book details the life and otherworldly visions of Black Elk, the Oglala Lakota healer and shaman who bore witness to the horrors of white settler colonialism firsthand, including at the battles of Little Big Horn (1876) and Wounded Knee (1890).
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Carved from whale bones, reindeer antlers and walrus tusks, these fierce talismans are vengeful spirits traditionally created by shamans to destroy enemies.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shaman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaman
Noun
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Others determined how to identify and punish witches.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
26 May 2026
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Shrub choices might include caryopteris and the native fall-blooming witch-hazel.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Come see magician Ken Scott at the Peachtree Corners branch of the Gwinnett Public Library for a show packed with jokes, tricks, storytelling and music.—
Elizabeth Green,
AJC.com,
28 May 2026
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Cocktail Magic includes bars with different themes and wandering magicians.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Skeletor, who was a human being named Keldor, is a wizard who uses mind control, among other abilities, to get his way from his hub on Snake Mountain.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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My old colleague Ben Morris, a statistical wizard, used to tell me that 10 games of a season generally produces enough data to have a good idea of how good a team would be.—
Kyle Wagner,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The movie is adapted from the French novel of the same name (Le mage du Kremlin, in French) by author Giuliano de Empoli and casts Paul Dano as a fictional character named Vadim Baranov, who assists Putin in his rise to the center of Russia's government.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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Interspersed throughout the main storyline, sequences depict how Trent Ikithon (Mark Strong) recruited the promising fire mage to join his magic academy, submit to painful experimentations to enhance his power, and eventually groomed him to become a Volstrucker assassin to hunt down dissidents.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Of course, the commercial ends in climactic fashion, as He-Man lifts Skeletor above his head for the grand finale and the sorcerer erupts into his legendary cackle.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
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In the first Mortal Kombat film, Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han) seeks to eliminate Earth's champions ahead of the ultimate tournament between realms.—
Nigel Smith,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The bony villain is a warlock who stole the throne of Eternia from King Randor and now rules it with a tyrannical fist.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
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There are barbarians with battle axes and swords, robots with laser guns, spaceships, a warlock with a skull for a face.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Grotesque sea hags, killer clowns, demonic self-help books and more plague the town and its mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
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And nor are any of the spooky figures, which range from 1950s housewives to toothless hags.—
The Week,
TheWeek,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaman. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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