1
as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
originally, an abracadabra was a cryptogram of the word "abracadabra" that was repeated in diminishing form until it disappeared entirely—supposedly just like the targeted evil or misfortune
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2
as in nonsense
unintelligible or meaningless talk
after some abracadabra the spiritualist announced that we had made contact with "the other side"
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Recent Examples of abracadabra
But Trump’s Hollywood gambits well surpass that obvious bit of abracadabra.
—
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Make the Boston Celtics vanish on abracadabra?
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022
His utilization of terms like irreducible complexity is about as substantive as chanting abracadabra, but probably just as effective in convincing fellow travelers already sympathetic to his position as shamans were in the days of yore.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2011
That’s seven steps to make abracadabra, whose molecular assembly number is thus seven.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
It's got lots of entries for inquisitive younglings, from abracadabra to zombies.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2011
And there’s an abracadabra quality of pulling a bed out nowhere.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022
The smoke from Luka Doncic’s latest abracadabra moment still hangs in the air, along with our collective state of disbelief.
—Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2021
When someone pushed the button — abracadabra — the bus went from Boston to New York, just like that.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Make the Boston Celtics vanish on abracadabra?
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022
His utilization of terms like irreducible complexity is about as substantive as chanting abracadabra, but probably just as effective in convincing fellow travelers already sympathetic to his position as shamans were in the days of yore.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2011
That’s seven steps to make abracadabra, whose molecular assembly number is thus seven.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
It's got lots of entries for inquisitive younglings, from abracadabra to zombies.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2011
And there’s an abracadabra quality of pulling a bed out nowhere.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022
The smoke from Luka Doncic’s latest abracadabra moment still hangs in the air, along with our collective state of disbelief.
—Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2021
When someone pushed the button — abracadabra — the bus went from Boston to New York, just like that.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abracadabra
Noun
-
His sole Premier League appearance came against Manchester City nearly four years later and his career has included loan spells with Lincoln City, Peterborough United, MK Dons and Rotherham United.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The company's manifesto unabashedly promotes the tool as an aid to cheating and likens its arrival to inventions like calculators, spell checkers, and Google.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Just ask anyone who's watched an AI confidently spit out nonsense—or worse.—
Bob Ras,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
While Drop, clocking in at an economical 93 minutes, may sound like fun and games, there’s something deeper and more human at its core than mindless nonsense.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Then, in what might be one of the most fitting metaphors of parenting and family-building in horror-comedy history, everyone—Rohan, Josh, their parents, their partner's parents, and even their friend—start screaming the same garbled Latin incantation in an effort to confuse the demon.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Alice draws a circle around Lilia uttering some sort of incantation as Patti LuPone’s witch writhes on the floor in her glittery jump suit and orange coat.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Trump prattles on about the economy while the actors freeze behind him in their ancient Galilee garb.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths.—
Joshua Cohen,
The New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
This is the familiar mumbo jumbo that Hollywood loves to attach to surfing, to highlight the metaphysical connection that surfers have to the waves, the ocean, and maybe even the cosmos.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Trying to decode that spirit's mystical mumbo jumbo into actionable intelligence is a key part of your effort against the Dreamscourge.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Worse, such jabber crowds out essential coverage of genuine threats to democracy and the visions of the two parties.—
Jennifer Rubin,
Washington Post,
16 July 2024
-
Jacobs-Jenkins renders him as a wry, friendly figure who occasionally takes over the bodies of the other characters to explain what is happening beneath their jabber.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
5 June 2023
Noun
-
Furtado, with a similar penchant for stretching out vowels and embracing gibberish, does the same with Elliott here, at times shrill but still compelling. 73.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
-
But at the heart of it is an army of armchair scientists tapping into the unknown, shattering relaxation boundaries and spewing gibberish all in the hopes that someone out there will tingle.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Related Articles Over the weekend, there was a lot of online chatter about Elliott either closing his business or selling it to Authentic Brands Group.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The last week has been a lot of chatter on the matter.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abracadabra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abracadabra. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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