Definition of cultnext
1
as in audience
a group of people showing intense devotion to a cause, person, or work (as a film) long after it had gone off the air, the TV series continued to have a huge cult

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2
as in religion
a body of beliefs and practices regarding the supernatural and the worship of one or more deities an ancient cult that centered on the worship of the earth as the source of all life

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cult The 1977 follow up to the original Exorcist was a commercial and critical failure but has gone on to earn cult status. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 May 2026 The first full tale is maybe the best one in the book, the Priest’s Tale, which explores religious faith and horror through a Priest’s encounter with a Christ cult that somehow existed thousands of years before Jesus’s appearance on Earth. Literary Hub, 15 May 2026 But younger audiences still deserve references for cult movies that sprawl, contradict themselves, and leave behind tonal residue so strange not even their creators can fully explain them. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 May 2026 Advertisement In present-day Haeseong, a cult-like organization known as The Church of Eternal Salvation stands where the orphanage once did. Kayti Burt, Time, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cult
Noun
  • In March, the group released a documentary on Netflix, which chronicled their balancing act during the making of Arirang as the band looked to honor its roots in Korea even as their audience has expanded to encompass the entire world.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2026
  • The band isn’t worried about label expectations or pleasing mainstream audiences.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • No nation can truly represent a religion.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
  • Brian Kaylor, a Baptist pastor and president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way, a progressive site covering faith and politics, said that while the Continental Congress did call for a day of prayer, the founders crafted the Constitution to prevent the establishment of religion.
    Peter Smith, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026

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“Cult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cult. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

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