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
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2
as in nonsense
unintelligible or meaningless talk
after some abracadabra the spiritualist announced that we had made contact with "the other side"
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Example Sentences
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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
-
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the cold spell brought Chicago's air temperature down to a bone-chilling minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit on January 21.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
-
While there is no magic spell to eliminate identity fraud entirely, enhanced address verification can significantly bolster your defenses against it.—
Rob Heidenreich,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The word had seemed like nonsense only a moment before.—
Anna Russell,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Having a terrible job where empty, pandering nonsense is handed down by corporate headquarters.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The amalgamation of memory, historical fact and artifice yield an engrossing incantation.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
-
These works evoke the votive sculptures of ancient Egypt, where animals garnered more reverence than they do now, were seen as perhaps incantations of gods.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
17 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
-
Strong actors also can’t prop up a script built out of barely penetrable mumbo jumbo.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
-
After being attacked by a lion on safari in Ghana, he’s given a mystical botanical serum mixed with lion’s blood and some mumbo jumbo about a tarot card.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
13 Dec. 2024
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 pressure of the moment led Ferrell to spurt out total gibberish in his telling — and his flub was so bad that SNL boss Lorne Michaels paid him a visit backstage.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
12 Jan. 2025
-
Let Us Show You How GPT Works — Using Jane Austen An interactive demonstration of how large language models work, from gibberish to complete sentences.—
The Upshot Staff,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2024
Noun
-
Now, weeks after some of the Hollywood trades reported Chris Evans would be making his Marvel return in that event film, the actor himself denies the chatter.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
30 Jan. 2025
-
Now, chatter should only pick up as the team figures out its long-term direction heading into what will be — as usual — an important offseason for a franchise that’s closing in on being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for a ninth straight season.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Abracadabra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abracadabra. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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