1
as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
originally, an abracadabra was a cryptogram of the word "abracadabra" that was repeated in diminishing form until it disappeared entirely—supposedly just like the targeted evil or misfortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in nonsense
unintelligible or meaningless talk
after some abracadabra the spiritualist announced that we had made contact with "the other side"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 abracadabra
But Trump’s Hollywood gambits well surpass that obvious bit of abracadabra.
—
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Make the Boston Celtics vanish on abracadabra?
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022
His utilization of terms like irreducible complexity is about as substantive as chanting abracadabra, but probably just as effective in convincing fellow travelers already sympathetic to his position as shamans were in the days of yore.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2011
That’s seven steps to make abracadabra, whose molecular assembly number is thus seven.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
It's got lots of entries for inquisitive younglings, from abracadabra to zombies.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2011
And there’s an abracadabra quality of pulling a bed out nowhere.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022
The smoke from Luka Doncic’s latest abracadabra moment still hangs in the air, along with our collective state of disbelief.
—Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2021
When someone pushed the button — abracadabra — the bus went from Boston to New York, just like that.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Make the Boston Celtics vanish on abracadabra?
—Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022
His utilization of terms like irreducible complexity is about as substantive as chanting abracadabra, but probably just as effective in convincing fellow travelers already sympathetic to his position as shamans were in the days of yore.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2011
That’s seven steps to make abracadabra, whose molecular assembly number is thus seven.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 13 Jan. 2023
It's got lots of entries for inquisitive younglings, from abracadabra to zombies.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2011
And there’s an abracadabra quality of pulling a bed out nowhere.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 11 Feb. 2022
The smoke from Luka Doncic’s latest abracadabra moment still hangs in the air, along with our collective state of disbelief.
—Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2021
When someone pushed the button — abracadabra — the bus went from Boston to New York, just like that.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abracadabra
Noun
-
Overall, warmer days are on the way for much of the central and southern U.S., with milder conditions for the Northeast following extended spells of teeth-chattering chills in February, Sosnowski said.—
Doyle Rice,
USA TODAY,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Long spells of sitting in airports and on airplanes is a common story among patients who come to the ER with one or more clots in their legs — or worse, evidence that a clot has broken free and traveled through the bloodstream to lodge in the lungs, a serious condition called a pulmonary embolus.—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
First off, the bulk of the trailer is Shrek and company scrolling through fantasy TikTok courtesy of the magic mirror, which shows dancing Shrek, shirtless Shrek and other nonsense, apparently posted by Pinocchio.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Spouted a bunch of nonsense conspiracy theories about who’s getting Social Security benefits.—
Brian Barrett,
WIRED,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Endgame sorceries, mob-melting moves, and ground-shaking incantations can be yours in next to no time.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
-
The amalgamation of memory, historical fact and artifice yield an engrossing incantation.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths.—
Joshua Cohen,
The New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2024
-
The larcenous prattle is, in this sense, a typically Wiig-ian set piece: sunny, strained and flailing for dignity.—
Lili Loofbourow,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2024
Noun
-
Trying to decode that spirit's mystical mumbo jumbo into actionable intelligence is a key part of your effort against the Dreamscourge.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
13 Feb. 2025
-
Strong actors also can’t prop up a script built out of barely penetrable mumbo jumbo.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
-
Worse, such jabber crowds out essential coverage of genuine threats to democracy and the visions of the two parties.—
Jennifer Rubin,
Washington Post,
16 July 2024
-
Jacobs-Jenkins renders him as a wry, friendly figure who occasionally takes over the bodies of the other characters to explain what is happening beneath their jabber.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
5 June 2023
Noun
-
The child first dialed 911 and began saying gibberish to the dispatcher before hanging up and dialing again.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Fried memes and hysterical gibberish suffocate the internet nowadays.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Just a few years ago, as investors dove into beauty at an unprecedented pace, much of the chatter in the industry was focused on the billion-dollar brand — sales wise.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
WWD,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Wilson and Broccoli have traditionally done little to shoot down this chatter.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to abracadabra
Cite this Entry
“Abracadabra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abracadabra. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share