1
as in incantations
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 bouts
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 whiles
an indefinite but usually short period of time
come rest a spell
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in possesses
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 means
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
that summertime combination of hot temperatures and equally hot tempers can spell trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spells
Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Much like the previous match against San Jose, Sporting started out strong, establishing long spells of possession that led to dangerous chances.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2026
But Aubameyang, who made his name with prolific spells at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, had the last word as Stade Velodrome erupted in joy and disbelief.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
Everton appeared set up to contain United and absorb long spells of pressure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The strategic trading card game Magic, which was created in 1993, typically features two players going head-to-head using custom decks of collectible cards to cast spells, unleash creatures or use artifacts to defeat their opponent.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2026
Spring bulbs start to produce roots as soon as they're planted in the soil in fall, and some of their leafy shoots may appear above ground during warm spells in winter.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Wyles Daniel, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2026
Noah Eagle will fill in on the mic, while Ahmed Fareed spells Maria Taylor as NBC’s studio host.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Over time, the event has grown into the Camp Flog Gnaw Festival (its name spells Golf Wang in reverse), which sold out Dodger Stadium for two consecutive days in 2025.
—Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That spells good news for HBO, since the network has already renewed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for Season 2, which is set to premiere next year.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
The return of starting cornerbacks Jayden Bellamy and Antione Jackson and starting safeties Demari Henderson and Braeden Marshall spells good things for the secondary.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
The deal is a significant endorsement of Google’s AI capabilities, and likely spells bad news for competitor OpenAI.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
While a visit from Randy spells nothing but chaos, Flula Borg describes himself as the opposite.
—Tanya Melendez, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
That spells good news for Boise State redshirt junior quarterback Maddux Madsen, who often looks at his best when given time in the pocket.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Dec. 2025
Noun
She was often frustrated by spending long spells on hold with insurance agents, and was overwhelmed by the complexity of the plans.
—Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Much like the previous match against San Jose, Sporting started out strong, establishing long spells of possession that led to dangerous chances.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2026
But Aubameyang, who made his name with prolific spells at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, had the last word as Stade Velodrome erupted in joy and disbelief.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
Everton appeared set up to contain United and absorb long spells of pressure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The strategic trading card game Magic, which was created in 1993, typically features two players going head-to-head using custom decks of collectible cards to cast spells, unleash creatures or use artifacts to defeat their opponent.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2026
Spring bulbs start to produce roots as soon as they're planted in the soil in fall, and some of their leafy shoots may appear above ground during warm spells in winter.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
While this movement spells good news for the economy and industry, traveling on Houston roadways can be a serious crash risk for the people on the road, including truck drivers.
—Wyles Daniel, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2026
Noah Eagle will fill in on the mic, while Ahmed Fareed spells Maria Taylor as NBC’s studio host.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Over time, the event has grown into the Camp Flog Gnaw Festival (its name spells Golf Wang in reverse), which sold out Dodger Stadium for two consecutive days in 2025.
—Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That spells good news for HBO, since the network has already renewed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for Season 2, which is set to premiere next year.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
The return of starting cornerbacks Jayden Bellamy and Antione Jackson and starting safeties Demari Henderson and Braeden Marshall spells good things for the secondary.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
The deal is a significant endorsement of Google’s AI capabilities, and likely spells bad news for competitor OpenAI.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
While a visit from Randy spells nothing but chaos, Flula Borg describes himself as the opposite.
—Tanya Melendez, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
That spells good news for Boise State redshirt junior quarterback Maddux Madsen, who often looks at his best when given time in the pocket.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spells
Noun
-
There’s a little bit of mystery with the spirits, incantations and rituals.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Committed to his craft, Munoz-Pederson had traveled as far as Thailand to train in Muay Thai and to New Zealand to find additional bouts.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Zambidis reportedly has 18 world titles and a record of 157-24, give or take a few bouts.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
UCHealth’s decision to postpone surgeries whiles staff addressed the sterilization problem stands out from other hospitals that have found themselves in similar situations.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Privacy and authenticity are valuable assets for any artist to maintain, but Styles has never been a master of crafting a specific image, let alone a lyric that possesses a kind of crystal-clear metaphor or emotion.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The franchise possesses a bounty of movable assets, plenty of cap space and a couple of holes in its lineup.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This means its incredibly dense.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
-
That means there are no other doors along the way.—
Mike Toole,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, various curses and slurs could be heard shouted from the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall, even during some segments broadcast to audiences in England and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The earliest depictions of slavery were already crawling with the terrible proceedings the Gothic tends to depict, from bloody whippings to family curses to the wrathful wraiths of the slain enslaved.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Even so, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) saw fresh drone and missile attacks Saturday morning.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to launch retaliatory drone and missile attacks across the region, and a clerical body has been working to select the country's next supreme leader.—
Stefan Becket,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The jokes and musical bits are amusing but not groundbreaking, and the story is too light and slow to have a real impact.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Use your hands to agitate the greens (this will dislodge any stubborn bits of grit or dirt), then drain and spin dry.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spells. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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