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
Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Leeds actually had three shots extra in their more recent barren spell, 72 to 69, but the average quality of those shooting opportunities was lower.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Some, however, have flagged his lack of editorial experience, pointing out that editorial dramas were what spelled the end for Davie.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spell
Noun
Some might say those head-down, solitary spells catapulted Hobert into a genuine flow state.
—Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Leeds actually had three shots extra in their more recent barren spell, 72 to 69, but the average quality of those shooting opportunities was lower.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Johnson did, reportedly, resort to witchcraft—a protection spell over the restaurant, and a curse on Aghajanian.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Some, however, have flagged his lack of editorial experience, pointing out that editorial dramas were what spelled the end for Davie.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell
Noun
-
At the beginning of her music career, Jordan was (rightfully) hailed as a prodigy—a blessing and a curse.—
Grace Robins-Somerville,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Meeting Rachel’s parents and getting that backstory leads her into discovering this family curse.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Drought is just another hurdle to overcome, even if this bout lies in uncharted territory.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Rosalía is feeling better after she was forced to cancel her concert in Milan last night in the middle of the performance after suffering a bout of food poisoning.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Becherano had his eyes on Fort Lauderdale as Smorgasburg’s next home for a while.—
Amanda Rosa
March 31,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
We’ve been estranged for a while.—
Jesse Eisenberg,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Paris, the Museum of the Prefecture of Police possesses just a guillotine blade, while the closest thing on view at the Carnavalet Museum is a two-foot-tall model guillotine and a pair of dangly brass guillotine earrings.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The two offenders were sentenced to two years of probation and 60 hours of community service each − one hour for each victim, Judge Leonard Brown said − meaning they will not be put into a juvenile detention facility, while technically remaining under the supervision of the juvenile justice system.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In Dallas-Fort Worth, there were 104,378 births and 53,559 deaths, which means 50,819 of the area’s new residents were a result of natural population change.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In that loud and sultry enclosure, the aspirants lined up and repeated the same information, over and over, like an incantation to open a magic door.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Where ancient midwives had summoned divine assistance by uttering incantations, medieval maternity caregivers called upon saintly mothers by reciting rhythmical charms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On September 30th, a few days after the attack, Loomer called out Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai, the heads of Apple and Google, for making such programs available.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Israel strikes Iranian nuclear facilities Bahreini’s announcement came just hours after Iranian state media said two nuclear facilities had come under attack.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Crews are asking boaters and visitors in the area to give dive teams and emergency vessels space to operate safely as the search continues.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The light, airy space on 53rd Street houses cooler-than-cool home decor items, tech accessories, tabletop design and furniture, jewelry, and accessories.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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