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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Recent Examples of occult
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023
Other screening options include annual fecal occult blood tests which look for blood in the stool.
—Janelle Chavez, CNN, 19 Jan. 2023
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2025
Object Of The Week: The Pleiades This week, the moon will occult the Pleiades, the closest open cluster of stars to the solar system and a spectacular sight with both the naked eye and through binoculars.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Adjective
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
Other screening options include annual fecal occult blood tests which look for blood in the stool.
—Janelle Chavez, CNN, 19 Jan. 2023
Verb
January 13: In the early evening the full moon will occult—pass directly in front of—the planet Mars, eclipsing it.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2025
Object Of The Week: The Pleiades This week, the moon will occult the Pleiades, the closest open cluster of stars to the solar system and a spectacular sight with both the naked eye and through binoculars.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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During the course of the series, Mullen's investigation into the cyberattack unearths the mysterious weapon.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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There are dramatic headlines, nonsensical abbreviations and mysterious trends that seem to erase people’s money.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The film has proven divisive, though, with some audiences puzzled by its breakneck tonal shifts and ambiguous ending.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Trump has not commented on the military base plan specifically but delivered an ambiguous answer this week to a question regarding the use of private companies to assist with deportations.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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First off, the bulk of the trailer is Shrek and company scrolling through fantasy TikTok courtesy of the magic mirror, which shows dancing Shrek, shirtless Shrek and other nonsense, apparently posted by Pinocchio.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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There is no magic sodium number or threshold used to determine whether the amount of salt in a particular food contributes to hyper-palatability.—
Andrea Kane,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The exhibition also reflects how techno caught on internationally so rapidly that its origins in the Motor City have been obscured for some by a narrative of the genre as a white trend born in Europe.—
Annalise Frank,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
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Another emerald eye was almost obscured behind a thick clump of needles.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Women possessed by the gods were oracles, predicting the future in cryptic utterances.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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Escher String Quartet Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs The Escher String Quartet, named for the cryptic artist M.C. Escher, performs pieces by Ravel, Mendelssohn and Mozart on March 4 at 7:30 p.m. $39, $37 seniors, free for students and youth.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Founded on the ethos of art as a form of mystic healing, the label reimagines the family heirloom—and invites its patrons to examine their relationship with objects.—
Nia Shumake,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
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Healy Lake members have long considered their dogs to be mystic companions, according to Combs.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In this real-life fairy tale, Meg Ray, owner of the beloved Bay Area patisserie Miette, embarks on a five-year odyssey to help save a magical café on the remote Swedish island of Rödlöga.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
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And also the feelings of you live in this magical world and you are being prevented from interacting with it because of ableism.—
Esme Mazzeo,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Urban Outfitters’ fourth-quarter results concealed underlying challenges, with the flagship brand experiencing its eleventh consecutive quarter of negative growth.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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The body of the lion lay concealed among the thick-growing needles of the pine limb.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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