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
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
April 25: The moon will occult Regulus again at approximately 8:30 P.M. (depending on your location), though this time it will be best viewed from sites east of the Mississippi, where the pair will be higher in the sky.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2026
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
When To See The ‘snow Moon’ Occult Regulus Just a day after the full wolf supermoon, the near-full moon will occult Regulus for about an hour, as seen from the eastern half of North America.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
April 25: The moon will occult Regulus again at approximately 8:30 P.M. (depending on your location), though this time it will be best viewed from sites east of the Mississippi, where the pair will be higher in the sky.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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For several months, a mysterious sign displayed in the windows of vacant storefront in Shorewood has intrigued passersby along Capitol Drive.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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To anyone who's gotten a bill three months after treatment only to find mysterious charges, the idea seemed intuitive.—
Darius Tahir,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Çatak’s anti-state message acquires an ambiguous power as the movie wends onward, with an enigmatic final shot that finds Aziz tasting clear-skies freedom but still from behind confines of a sort.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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Wuthering Heights simultaneously puts too much malevolence on Nelly’s shoulders while also making her final decisions sort of nonsensical, even ambiguous.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And the magic elixir is able to turn garbage into Jan Ravnik, Swift's pinup backup dancer.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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Three was the magic number on inspections for Uncle Joe’s.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The individual, their face covered in a ski mask, appears to fiddle with the camera with a gloved hand before turning away to look for something to obscure the lens.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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But despite the new program’s promising rhetoric, the scientific framing of the announcement obscures a deeper policy problem.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At the end of the video, Swift shows a clip from their appearance on the Graham Norton Show in which Gleeson jokes about wanting to star in a music video and Swift giving a surprised, but cryptic smile.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
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Bryony hopes that sharing her story will help spread awareness about cryptic pregnancies, or stealth pregnancies.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Dera was founded in 1948 by the mystic Mastana Balochistani in the Haryana city of Sirsa, near the northern state’s borders with Punjab, India’s breadbasket, and the desert state of Rajasthan.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Although Nuccio is as down to earth as anyone could be, and definitely not a mystic, there can be no disputing his stature as a remarkable man.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Topeka native led Wichita State to a magical Sweet Sixteen run in 2006; sent Texas A&M to four consecutive NCAA appearances; and most recently guided Maryland to five NCAAs — including a Sweet Sixteen — in 11 years as the Terrapins’ head coach.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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The panel will turn on adapting the novel’s magical realism, shaping its multi-generational story for an eight‑episode series and the creative collaboration behind bringing this beloved classic to global audiences, the Berlinale Series Market confirmed Wednesday.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To be sure, stable average prices can conceal the reality that some patients face higher expenses while others see lower costs.—
Chris Pope,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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Plaintiffs also accuse the companies of failing to warn users about the risks of using their products and of deliberately concealing their dangers.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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