1
as in curse
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
the witch cast a spell that turned the prince into a toad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bout
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
a dizzy spell that caused me to fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in while
an indefinite but usually short period of time
come rest a spell
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to possess
to cast a spell on
it was as if he had spelled the public into believing his ridiculous claims
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to mean
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
that summertime combination of hot temperatures and equally hot tempers can spell trouble
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spell
Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
This super-stuffed bonanza of spell-casting goodness will feature previews, interviews, Easter eggs, and original musical performances by some of the starriest members of the duology's ensemble cast — including cohosts Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
Karen Wang, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Analysts say those trends spell big trouble for Republicans from coast to coast if left unchecked leading up to the midterms.
—Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spell
Noun
After a long spell with the Philadelphia Eagles, Andy Reid took over as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach in 2013 and began a run that now includes five Super Bowl appearances, three Super Bowl titles, and 278 career wins; the fourth-most in NFL history.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
This super-stuffed bonanza of spell-casting goodness will feature previews, interviews, Easter eggs, and original musical performances by some of the starriest members of the duology's ensemble cast — including cohosts Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
L’Abbate says the 2013 charges and resulting notoriety spelled the end of Accent Wealth Development.
—Karen Wang, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Analysts say those trends spell big trouble for Republicans from coast to coast if left unchecked leading up to the midterms.
—Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell
Noun
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With the launch of the Culling Game in the aftermath, 10 colonies from across Japan are transformed into dens of curses as part of a plot orchestrated by the most wicked sorcerer in history, Noritoshi Kamo.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
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Her goal helped the club secure its first berth in the NWSL playoffs, snapping a ninth-place curse that had haunted the team since its debut in 2021.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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On the Amazon Prime Video postgame recap of the Lakers-Grizzlies clash, former six-time All-Star power forward Blake Griffin took umbrage with Morant's occasional mid-game bouts with apathy.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Kansas Jayhawks freshman point guard Darryn Peterson, who played just five minutes in the second half of KU’s Monday season opener against Green Bay because of a recurring bout with cramps, practiced Tuesday night and again Wednesday.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With Jennings and Kittle back in the lineup for this game, the Niners should be able to move the ball well enough to keep this one close for a while.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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People bristle at the word procedural, because for a while that had negative connotations to it.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The reactor also possesses a strong negative temperature coefficient, meaning the nuclear reaction naturally slows as temperatures rise, preventing a runaway event.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
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The current policy, last revised in 2010, allows students to possess electronic devices during the school day but prohibits their use unless approved for educational purposes.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Barr’s unconventional campaign, meant to make an argument against gerrymandering producing deeply partisan districts, made national headlines.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Nov. 2025
-
That means thousands of flights canceled, or in other words, 200,000 fewer seats and butts in the air per day.—
The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a little bit of mystery with the spirits, incantations and rituals.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Aug. 2025
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How to turn a human into a statistic, an alien, an enemy combatant–transformations worked not through incantation, but through the movement of paper in government offices.—
Celia Bell
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
All three nuclear powers have established their own nuclear triad, consisting of ICBMs, submarines armed with ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft, which ensure their forces can survive a first strike and retaliate, thereby deterring a nuclear attack.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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But in the final weeks of the race, both campaigns traded personal attacks.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The big story Sipping coffee in a café surrounded by Singapore’s skyline, Anshuman Magazine of real estate services firm CBRE told me that global capability centers (GCCs) accounted for 38% of office space demand in India in the third quarter.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
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Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more!—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
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