incantation

noun

ˌin-ˌkan-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce incantation (audio)
Definition of incantationnext
as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power hovering over the sick child, the witch doctor muttered mysterious incantations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 incantation That six-word sentence, equal parts civic pride and audacity, has become the incantation at the center of Orlando’s sports history. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026 When paired with the Grimmerie translation key available on the film's Universal site, the spell is revealed to be an incantation for soothing and mending pain and fear. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025 There is a bopping, rhythmic assonance to Ginsberg’s unspooling lines, more incantation than poetry. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for incantation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incantation
  1. spell
  2. invocation
  3. curse
Noun
  • In France, more than 1,000 excess deaths were recorded during the heat spell, according to the country’s national public health agency.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Dettori retired as a jockey after taking some rides in Brazil following a spell racing in the United States, Britain's PA news agency reported.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of spell
Noun
  • Then came the invocation delivered by the Bishop of Washington, and then the Secretary of the Smithsonian, Dillon Ripley, welcomed everyone who had come out for the ceremony.
    — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026
  • The invocation of Wilson Björck is useful.
    — Murat Ates, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Definition of invocation
Noun
  • Brazil’s European curse at the World Cup continues thanks to Norway’s biggest star.
    — Andy Clayton, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • Not obsessed One Wish Willow Nikki, but actual Nikki, now awoken from her curse when Bear dies.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of curse

Browse Nearby Words

incandescently
incantation
incantations
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Cite this Entry

“Incantation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incantation. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on incantation

Nglish: Translation of incantation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about incantation

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