spell 1 of 2

noun

Definition of spellnext
1
as in curse
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power the witch cast a spell that turned the prince into a toad

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2
as in bout
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder a dizzy spell that caused me to fall

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3
as in while
an indefinite but usually short period of time come rest a spell

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spell

2 of 2

verb

ˈspel How to pronounce spell (audio)
1
as in to possess
to cast a spell on it was as if he had spelled the public into believing his ridiculous claims

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to mean
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind that summertime combination of hot temperatures and equally hot tempers can spell trouble

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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 spell
Noun
Their deaths occurred within five days of each other, as the country is gripped by a grueling spell of intense heat. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026 Instead, the filmmakers chose to go smaller, focusing on the internal conflict and loneliness of Holland’s Peter Parker after a spell forces his friends to forget him. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
Both of those lawsuits argue that the government didn’t adequately establish its case against each specific economy or spell how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practice they are being levied for, as required by Section 301. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Your phone is your secret documentation weapon Using your smartphone in a smart way can spell the difference between success and failure. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spell
  1. curse
  2. bout
  3. while
  4. possess
  5. mean
  6. incantation
  7. attack
  8. space
Noun
  • Clementine, the oldest daughter, takes control to help break out the other children, and Mary, in telling her story publicly, has agency in rectifying the familial curse.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • What did Widow’s Bay creator and showrunner Katie Dippold see in Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, mayor of the New England island town plagued by a historic curse?
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • The bout was a big draw for glitterati, gangs and their entourages -- particularly from Southern California.
    — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The promotion also stripped the bout of its co-main event slot after the weigh-in, per MMA Fighting.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of bout
Noun
  • Having escaped from the gloom of his house for a while, Shoichiro breathed a sigh of relief.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Eating less while in space can pose a problem because nutrition is essential for maintaining muscle strength, immune function and mental performance.
    — Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of while
Verb
  • Instead, that process was based on a predictable pattern, allowing hackers who possessed a sample seed phrase to use trial-and-error to guess others—and clean out Coldcard owners in the process.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Hugging Face article outlines what capabilities these organizations need to possess.
    — Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of possess
Verb
  • Switching hardware also means changing the software systems built around Nvidia’s CUDA platform, creating a costly engineering challenge for model developers.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Temperatures look to stay below 90 degrees in the Philadelphia region for your Tuesday, meaning our sixth heat wave will likely come to an end.
    — Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of mean
Noun
  • As passengers chanted the incantation together, white light flashed through the carriage, and music swelled from the speakers.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • On the title track, a spare arrangement slowly unfurls around James’ voice, its shifting texture and gauzy atmosphere giving his existential musings the quality of a private incantation.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of incantation
Noun
  • In recent years and as online culture changed, Hilton toned down his public attacks and appeared to embrace fatherhood and adopt a kinder public persona, even integrating more family-friendly content on his site.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • On April 1, Shawnda Jackson, the girl's grandmother, said there had been six adult relatives at the house, where the girl lived with 11 relatives, when the attack happened.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • The 130 units sit adjacent to the MARTA Lindbergh Station and will be accompanied with 10,000 square feet of affordable commercial space.
    — Elijah Megginson, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • New York — More than 900 million SpaceX shares are set to unlock Thursday, more than doubling the publicly available stock in Elon Musk’s space and AI company, which has struggled since its record-breaking IPO just weeks ago.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of space

Phrases Containing spell

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speedy
spell
spellbind
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Cite this Entry

“Spell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spell. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spell

Nglish: Translation of spell for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spell

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