variants
or elliptic
1
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the poet's elliptical style is such that the reader often senses that an allusion is being made—but to what exactly?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
his elliptical replies can seem rude to some people, but that's just his way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 elliptical
At a certain threshold, when the gravitational influence of both were roughly equal, the moon might have temporarily adopted an elliptical orbit and gotten tidally heated by Earth’s gravitational kneading.
—
Robin Andrews, Wired News, 15 June 2025
The moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical, with a low point, or perigee, of about 224,000 miles, and a high point, or apogee, of 251,650 miles.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
Af Klint’s real intentions remain elusive, buried in the labyrinth of her elliptical writing.
—Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Designed by famed Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century, the landmark square is known for its iconic elliptical colonnades, which symbolize embracing the faithful.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Robin Andrews, Wired News, 15 June 2025
The moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical, with a low point, or perigee, of about 224,000 miles, and a high point, or apogee, of 251,650 miles.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
Af Klint’s real intentions remain elusive, buried in the labyrinth of her elliptical writing.
—Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Designed by famed Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century, the landmark square is known for its iconic elliptical colonnades, which symbolize embracing the faithful.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
On Thursday, Bloom shared a series of cryptic quotes from Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung on Instagram.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
-
The team also discovered two more new species: the cryptic Namib day gecko and the miniature Namib day gecko.—
Aspen Pflughoeft
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Kohler Sunstruck oval tub is standard in the primary bathroom if this layout is chosen.—
Benjamin C Tankersley,
Washington Post,
1 Feb. 2023
-
This simple opener works well on circular cans but may not be effective on dented, square, or oval cans.—
Maya Polton,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
The Journal Sentinel aims to provide both in-depth investigative journalism and quick, concise news updates.—
Greg Borowski,
jsonline.com,
11 July 2025
-
Solution: The first step is to establish a concise cyber risk governance committee charter, a high-trust document that outlines the committee's responsibilities, authority, composition and decision-making boundaries.—
Phillimon Zongo,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Emojis in texts: More than just fun, a tool for connection While emojis can sometimes be ambiguous or misunderstood, especially in sarcastic or complex conversations, their overall impact is positive.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
-
In fact, she was designed to be ethnically ambiguous for that reason, suggested Carlos Cortés, professor emeritus in history at UC Riverside, who consulted the creative team.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
After earning a reputation as a tackling machine at Syracuse, Clark signed with the Cowboys and quickly saw some brief work with the first-team unit during minicamp while Wilson was sidelined.—
Nick Harris
July 11,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 2025
-
Consider what those two third graders learned in their brief hallway squabble.—
Russell Shaw,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
The same narrative was recycled, almost ritualistically, whenever the enigmatic artist took the stage.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Her voice soon catches the attention of the admired and enigmatic choirmaster Machá (Juraj Loj).—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
If that bluntness sound a little prosaic at first, there’s a curt poetry to it that comes into focus listening through 15 tracks that consist almost entirely of sisters Danielle, Alana and Este Haim handing in their respective resignations to long- or short-term partners, effectively immediately.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
20 June 2025
-
Long-winded or hesitant responses in meetings meet with a curt response.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
In other words — not to be too blunt about it — employers took responsibility for training their workers to work for them.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
5 July 2025
-
The man identified as Moore-Hodges walked away from the park around 3:50 a.m. According to the complaint, an autopsy on June 30 affirmed the victim died of multiple blunt force injuries to his head and neck.—
Ariela Lopez,
jsonline.com,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share