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
Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
January 13: In the early evening the full moon will occult—pass directly in front of—the planet Mars, eclipsing it.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 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
Since this cluster lies 4 degrees north of the ecliptic — that great circle on the celestial sphere representing the sun's apparent path during the year — it can be occulted only when the ascending node of the moon's orbit is in the Pisces-to-Sagittarius part of the ecliptic.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
January 13: In the early evening the full moon will occult—pass directly in front of—the planet Mars, eclipsing it.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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In the second episode, Arthur and his queen, Guinevere, are presiding over a feast when it is interrupted by a mysterious visitor, a blind harpist, guided into court by a white dog.—
Alan Yuhas,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Despite Shauna trying to blame her for all the mysterious things happening to her in season 3, Melissa says that Shauna is the problem, the real anti-hero, so to speak.—
Stacy Lambe,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Religion is the topic most likely to cause offense in India today, though the code is ambiguous on this point too.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
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One thing that is not ambiguous is that the spirit is drawing Mia into its world a little at a time.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There is, however, no magic cure to alleviate the effects of the othalanga.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Additional entertainment was provided by Brin — showing off his magic tricks — and professional magician David Blaine, who performed an elaborate trick in which every guest shuffled a pack of cards according to Blaine’s instructions and then had hundreds of people select the exact same card.—
Alex Cramer,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In one interview after the next, people asked us to obscure their full names or not record at all.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
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In the first, the sheepdog appears engulfed by a thick coat of long white fur, his face nearly obscured by the shaggy mass.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And this looks to have that signature Souls flavor both in terms of combat and cryptic storytelling.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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The note features a cryptic math puzzle that, when solved correctly using a unique personal identifier, reveals the phone number of the person who found the wallet.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Those attributed to Jesus—described in language nearly identical to accounts of the Greek mystic and holy man Apollonius of Tyana, say—are neither more nor less convincing than others.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
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Founded on the ethos of art as a form of mystic healing, the label reimagines the family heirloom—and invites its patrons to examine their relationship with objects.—
Nia Shumake,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Eala’s magical ride ended at 12:45 a.m. Friday after a nearly-three hour semifinal against No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the United States.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
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Remember that magical feeling of gazing at the stars, a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut or the awe-inspiring images beaming back from the International Space Station (ISS)?—
Shelli Brunswick,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Immigration advocates, attorneys and civil litigators are warning against the normalization of federal agents concealing their faces while detaining nonviolent students.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
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The real debate was, of course, little different — except that millions of Americans could now see in real time what Biden’s intimate associates had been concealing from them for many months.—
Fintan O’Toole,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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