SPELLS Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

spells 1 of 2

noun

plural of spell

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

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Relevance

as in bouts

a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder a dizzy spell that caused me to fall

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in whiles

an indefinite but usually short period of time come rest a spell

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spells

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spell

as in possesses

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

blesses

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

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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 spells

Noun

Months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds have contributed to wildfires in Utah and other parts of the West. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 In the anime trailer, Qifrey tells Coco that the kind of spells that aren’t forbidden are the ones that bring happiness to all. — Kalai Chik, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Everton are eyeing Ethan Wheatley, United’s 20-year-old striker who had productive loan spells at League One sides Northampton Town and Bradford City last season. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026 During spells of extreme heat and humidity, zoos should give lions ample shade, deploy cooling pads, and mist them with water, Whitnall said. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026 In fact, 75% of women in menopause experience hot flashes, which include sweating spells, according to UCLA Health. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026 Other times, diseases like blight – which is particularly common during spells of cool, damp weather – can destroy peony blooms. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 31 July 2026 AnnaSophia Robb didn’t have to enroll in Hogwarts to learn about love spells. — Adrianne Reece, InStyle, 28 July 2026 Not only are sick-leave rates shown to spike during intense hot spells, but health and safety laws in countries such as Italy and Greece oblige workers to actively stop working during peak midday heat. — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Verb

Our guide to Acadia National Park spells it all out and more—and don’t forget your hiking boots! — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 The Sofitel brand, after all, spells amenities, loyalty programs, and an international set. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026 On others, handwritten spells manifesting joy or health dance across the white surface. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 And a few thousands of a second often spells the difference between profits and losses. — Bernard Condon, Fortune, 18 July 2026 The resumption of the season also spells the beginning of the end for three of the worst umpires in the league. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 All of this spells the need for clear rules and for lawmakers and law enforcement to catch up with this rapidly changing transportation. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026 The table below spells them out in grams (g), milligrams (mg), micrograms (mcg), and international units (IU). — Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 1 July 2026 But were those two spells the best representation of Marsch soccer? — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 25 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spells

Noun

Halloween Horror Nights fans will encounter demonic forces when Book of the Dead incantations are read aloud inside the newest Evil Dead haunted house coming to Universal Studios Hollywood.

— Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 21 July 2026
Circe is able, by means of drugs and incantations, to change humans into wolves, lions, and other animals.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026

Definition of incantations

Noun

Barboza, who hadn't secured a win since October 2023 and had taken significant damage in recent bouts, laid his gloves down in the octagon.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Makhachev’s only loss in 30 career bouts came against Adriano Martins in October 2015, a result that has gone down as one of the most bewildering in UFC history with each passing Makhachev win.

— Mark Puleo, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of bouts

Verb

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler has multiple options for the central midfield pairing, but nobody else possesses the box-to-box power and athleticism of Carlos Baleba.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Cabrera possesses the type of stuff that would likely play up out of the bullpen.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of possesses

Verb

Apple Silicon uses custom designs, which means there are no off-the-shelf system-on-chip options; everything has to be designed specifically for Apple.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
That means more strikes are hitting their targets, more critical and economic infrastructure is being damaged, and more civilians are killed each week.

— Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of means

Noun

In other cases Hoodoo was used to counter the threat of curses, as in the practice of suspending bottles from a tree to trap any malevolent spirits or witches traveling in spirit form.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
The cumulative impression of Alice that the book leaves is of someone moving serenely through life, meeting fond blessings and awful curses both with the same calm equanimity.

— Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of curses

Noun

Despite distancing herself from her Democratic predecessor, Klobuchar faced attacks from Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who ran in the Republican primary, arguing that her leadership would be tantamount to giving Walz another term.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2026
The attacks come as tensions are rising between the government of western Libya and warlord Mohamed Bahroun, who controls the city of Zawiya.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

The full-bodied physicality with which delas Alas imbues her performance turns such punishingly poignant bits into the stuff of boisterous spectacle.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
The yoke-like steering features hammered aluminum bits, referencing the armor worn by medieval knights.

— Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of bits

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spell out

spells

spells out

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Style

“Spells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spells. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of spells

noun

verb

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