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
Hank Shteamer, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023
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
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Na’s credits span new generation works from The Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010) to occult thriller The Wailing (2016) and Thai-Korean co-production The Medium (2021).
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Adjective
Speaking of infernal-sounding, pay close attention around the 4:30 mark here, and witness the occult-metal mastery of Mercyful Fate riffsmith Hank Shermann, abetted by his trusty partner Michael Denner.
—Hank Shteamer, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023
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
Verb
Observers located in territories including southern New Zealand and Antarctica will see over 70% of the solar disk occulted by its natural satellite as the eclipse reaches its maximum at 3:41 p.m.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Na’s credits span new generation works from The Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010) to occult thriller The Wailing (2016) and Thai-Korean co-production The Medium (2021).
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks, the movie tells the story of a couple, played by American actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco, who move to the countryside to save their relationship and encounter a mysterious force that draws them closer.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
25 Sep. 2025
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As the rest of America adjusts to Homelander's iron fist, back at Godolkin University, the mysterious new Dean preaches a curriculum that promises to make students more powerful than ever.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Total repatriations When examining total repatriations — people returned to their country of origin — a more ambiguous picture emerges.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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Whereas many tech deals are conducted in equity of ambiguous value, this one was done in cold, hard cash, though the product itself is by no means a sure bet.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The latter is shown floating inside her magic bubble, while Elphaba takes to the skies via broomstick.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
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The Red Sox have a magic number of five with six games to go to clinch their first postseason berth in four years.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In some cases, ATM security cameras photographed people using debit cards to withdraw cash, sometimes wearing COVID-19-era masks to obscure their faces.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, this past weekend, reports emerged that two American military cargo jets deported people to Africa on flights that appear to have had their transponders turned off, preventing tracking by obscuring their locations from public flight databases and other nearby aircraft.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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While filming season 3 of Special Forces, Bachelorette alum Trista Sutter's husband, Ryan Sutter, shared a cryptic Instagram post about her being gone, which sparked speculation about their relationship status.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
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At some point, though, meaning that is sufficiently cryptic becomes indistinguishable from no meaning at all.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In Completedworks’ spring 2026 presentation, the Texan actor and model took the stage as Miss Edie Grey, a television clairvoyant and mystic extraordinaire that can trace the history of objects with her magical touch.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
20 Sep. 2025
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Yet Blanc’s real faith lies in the nearly mystic quality involved in seeing what the human animal is capable of.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There is something truly magical in the pages of this book, something that blends together romance, and magic and the love of found family.—
Audrey Goldberg Ruoff,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
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There's something magical about watching the transition from summer greens to the vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds of fall.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The family travelled north from Central America for weeks, crossing rivers by night and riding concealed in smugglers’ trucks.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Gardner orchestrates the scene; placing the girl in the center, then asking her, or perhaps even demonstrating, how to wrap the blanket around her body so her hands are concealed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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