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

Some people are even gravitating toward religious organizations and turning to mystical practices like psychics and love spells to find a partner. — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Their 2-4 record will meet with Dallas’ next Monday night in a game that all of a sudden spells absolute disaster for the losing team. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026 Building an international band that includes Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O’Rourke, and a whistler, the Australian guitarist shapes longform spells of emotional and musical ambiguity. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 Domestic home games have been consistently played at Arena Lviv, 750 miles west of Donetsk, since 2023 (Shakhtar had spells playing in Kyiv and Kharkiv before then). — Simon Johnson, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The insulation of the mulch will help keep the bulbs dormant during those treacherous warm spells in late winter and early spring. — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 And while some fall heat spells have been worse, the once that’s expected to begin this week won’t be easy to ignore. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2026 On lawns, thick mats smother grass and can promote snow mold, especially through wet spells. — Pam Rosendal, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026 Provide the Right Light Levels Mums bloom best in full sun, though too much direct sun during spells of hot weather can cause flower colors to fade. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2026

Verb

That spells greater risk for companies selling into global markets. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 And with audiences giving Digger a C on the exit poll Cinemascore (for which anything below a B usually spells disaster), word of mouth will only further curtail its prospects of striking box-office gold. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 Thayer doesn’t believe the technology spells doomsday for human real estate agents. — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2026 Whether the evidence spells the end of peewee football remains up in the air. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026 Your relationship with Brian Duffield, who also spells his first name correctly, is largely built around sharing memes together. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spells

Noun

Fascinatingly, however, the incantations are neither soothing nor conciliatory.

— Eleanor Johnson, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
The Hoodoo tradition presumes a belief in a supernatural or spirit world that can be called upon for assistance, often through charms and incantations.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of incantations

Noun

During earlier bouts of market volatility, Roeslani emphasized that recent sharp pullbacks should be viewed as strategic long term buying opportunities.

— , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Forecasters are warning South Florida residents that numerous cities will be drenched in rainfall that may lead to bouts of flash flooding and some thunderstorms Saturday night.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of bouts

Verb

One is that Chris’ soul possesses Billy’s car at her death and turns it into Stephen King’s famous killer car, Christine.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
NDCs are certificates or licenses that signal that a worker possesses a particular qualification or competency.

— Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of possesses

Verb

That means another week of relying on players like Andrew Armstrong and Cyrus Allen, with Xavier Worthy the WR1 by default.

— Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
It was born in 1930 and is today the most popular candy bar in the United States, which undoubtedly means the world.

— Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of means

Noun

Vieira said the show offers another opportunity for people to discover Rockport beyond the fictional curses portrayed in the series.

— Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
But repression isn’t a good plan when generations-long curses run in the bloodline, because Sally’s daughter Kylie (Joey King), now a college student, has gone and fallen in love behind her mother’s back.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of curses

Noun

On three separate occasions in the past week, Ukraine didn’t receive early warnings about missile attacks.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026
The wide availability of low-cost, powerful open models is one reason Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that open models in particular pose a risk of widespread and potentially devastating cyber attacks.

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

As plastic in the body breaks down into smaller and smaller bits — known as microplastics and nanoplastics — the potential danger increases, said Wei Min, a Columbia University chemist who co-authored the study.

— Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
If successful, bits of dust, soil and rocks from Phobos will arrive on Earth in 2031.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of spells

noun

verb

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