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
Skyler Caruso, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
As the disk begins to occult T Tauri North, the star's light will be filtered through the gas and dust, and begin to be absorbed at certain wavelengths by molecules within the disk.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025
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 the moon occults Mars, the lunar mass will appear to pass in front of the red planet in the night sky.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
As the disk begins to occult T Tauri North, the star's light will be filtered through the gas and dust, and begin to be absorbed at certain wavelengths by molecules within the disk.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occult
Adjective
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Years after gaining superpowers from being bombarded by cosmic rays in space, the astronauts-turned-superheroes face a new threat when the mysterious Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), heralds the coming of the world-devouring Galactus (Ralph Ineson).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
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More Miguel Rodriguez/Getty Images What's so mysterious about a team playing well?—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Automate routine monitoring, but require cross-functional review for ambiguous or high-impact alerts, providing clear explanations.—
Dr. Chiranjiv Roy,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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At times, though, there’s nothing ambiguous or veiled in his work.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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On-time debt payments aren’t a magic fix for your credit score.—
Stephanie Dhue,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
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The magic number of three — however coincidental and inaccurate — was too much for the internet to resist.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
23 July 2025
Verb
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By the time of totality at 3:20 p.m., dense clouds obscured the view, with an eerie darkness and a golden horizon.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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He was either shrouded in haze (the gasps of the fog machine eventually became indistinguishable from the vapor being collectively exhaled by the crowd) or obscured by low-angle backlighting.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Fans began speculating what all of the cryptic posts might signal, with some social media users suggesting the possibility of the pair remastering and releasing their 1973 album.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
19 July 2025
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In the days leading up to the show, Tyler hinted at a surprise set for July 21 by posting cryptic images on his Instagram, including a Louis Vuitton bag, a mannequin’s head and a trumpet player in a band uniform.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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The man from Osaka’s right arm is almost mystic, like one of California’s solemn redwoods.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
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Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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But forget logic, because everything about Dillon’s magical run has defied logic.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
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After encountering a magical heart in the forest, strange things start happening around her.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Hiding your number conceals it from everyone, including friends, family, and coworkers who have your number saved on their device, so there is a chance the call might go unanswered.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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These methods conceal the user’s real card number and give the payment network control over spending caps, merchant lists and transaction permissions.—
Darko Pavic,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occult. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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