1
as in incantations
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 bouts
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 whiles
an indefinite but usually short period of time
come rest a spell
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in possesses
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 means
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
that summertime combination of hot temperatures and equally hot tempers can spell trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spells
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Dry spells don’t eliminate them, either.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Those qualities have not brought success in brief spells as head coach of Derby, Swansea, Reading or Belgian club Cercle Brugge, but Clement’s work alongside him has been highly valued at Chelsea, PSG, Madrid and Bayern Munich.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 14 June 2026
Make sure to keep potted lavender out of winter rainy spells or the roots may rot.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
In another shocking revelation, former Everton midfielder Li Tie admitted paying rival teams to help two clubs win promotion to the Chinese Super League during managerial spells between 2015 and 2019.
—Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Philip Elliott, Time, 8 June 2026
The L'Oca d'Oro website spells that out, too.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
And this spells trouble for parts of the fast casual industry.
—Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 27 May 2026
His presence on the roster spells trouble for Patrick Bailey, the two-time reigning NL Gold Glove winner whose highly meager offensive contributions are becoming less tolerable in a struggling lineup of out-makers.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 4 May 2026
And the chart spells it out, admittedly in very tiny print.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
The British government spells it out in guidance for staff working with classified documents.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The timing of Tim Cook’s departure from Apple spells good things for the company’s fiscal second-quarter earnings report, set to be released on April 30, Wall Street analysts are buzzing.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Not everyone thinks this spells disaster, however.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
Several major cities, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and New Orleans, could experience ongoing spells of excessive rainfall, especially over the next 48 hours or so, forecasts showed.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Dry spells don’t eliminate them, either.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Those qualities have not brought success in brief spells as head coach of Derby, Swansea, Reading or Belgian club Cercle Brugge, but Clement’s work alongside him has been highly valued at Chelsea, PSG, Madrid and Bayern Munich.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 14 June 2026
Make sure to keep potted lavender out of winter rainy spells or the roots may rot.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
In another shocking revelation, former Everton midfielder Li Tie admitted paying rival teams to help two clubs win promotion to the Chinese Super League during managerial spells between 2015 and 2019.
—Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Verb
And in Pennsylvania, a three-seat swing in the state Senate could kick off a series of events that ultimately spells trouble for the state’s 10 GOP House members.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 8 June 2026
The L'Oca d'Oro website spells that out, too.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
And this spells trouble for parts of the fast casual industry.
—Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 27 May 2026
His presence on the roster spells trouble for Patrick Bailey, the two-time reigning NL Gold Glove winner whose highly meager offensive contributions are becoming less tolerable in a struggling lineup of out-makers.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 4 May 2026
And the chart spells it out, admittedly in very tiny print.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
The British government spells it out in guidance for staff working with classified documents.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The timing of Tim Cook’s departure from Apple spells good things for the company’s fiscal second-quarter earnings report, set to be released on April 30, Wall Street analysts are buzzing.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Not everyone thinks this spells disaster, however.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spells
Noun
-
As prospective farmers struggled to clear forests for rice fields in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Malaya, their efforts might have been accompanied by mystical incantations like this invocation against Iblis, the Devil in Islamic tradition.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Apr. 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
-
There is widespread confidence that the fight will happen, should Joshua and Fury come through warm-up bouts this summer unscathed.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
The event stretched into the late hours of the evening, with seven bouts producing seven victors.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
UCHealth’s decision to postpone surgeries whiles staff addressed the sterilization problem stands out from other hospitals that have found themselves in similar situations.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Neither Nuuk nor Iqaluit possesses the economic or military heft to secure the top of the world alone.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Long Beach possesses a coastal identity.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Which means the quality of one’s playing career isn’t supposed to affect their ability to be inducted for success as a coach or executive, and vice versa.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Which means the island craves eight more souls, one for each bell toll.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Rather than a nod of respect, Spurs fans—myself now sheepishly included—are finding their favorite tees and caps drawing chirps, sneers, and curses.—
Joan Kennedy,
Vogue,
10 June 2026
-
Chants laced with curses echo through Madison Square Garden.—
Albert Samaha,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
And, in any case, many legal experts say the boat attacks amount to extrajudicial killings in violation of international law.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
-
Sam Abu Haikal is the 13th child to be killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank so far this year, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, which has documented the killing of 236 children in the region by Israeli forces since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
After hearing these songs, the happier ones at the beginning of the album reveal bits of shadow that Rodrigo has built into them to presage what’s to come — to presage what always comes.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Work was completed on the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool last weekend, with attention turning to other bits of the president’s construction projects, such as his triumphal arch.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spells. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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