as in slippery
hard to find, capture, or isolate
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elusive
Overall profitability remains elusive.
—
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Toklas went on to fiercely uphold the author’s legacy, honoring Stein’s apparent desire to be understood while at the same time respecting her equally strong wish to remain elusive.
—Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
There is an elusive species of bat known from a few places in Malaysia and Indonesia.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
It’s also proven to be an elusive number.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Toklas went on to fiercely uphold the author’s legacy, honoring Stein’s apparent desire to be understood while at the same time respecting her equally strong wish to remain elusive.
—Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
There is an elusive species of bat known from a few places in Malaysia and Indonesia.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
It’s also proven to be an elusive number.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elusive
Adjective
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Plus, the rubber sole adds traction to keep you stable on wet or slippery surfaces.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Oct. 2025
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Physicists discovered why ice is slippery.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Stargazers interested in creating a lasting view of the transient visitors to Earth's sky should check out our guide to observing and photographing comets, along with our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography in 2025.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Chelsea shared on her Instagram Stories that the toddler had developed transient synovitis from a viral infection.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Its abstraction feels less evasive than connective, demanding engagement with the core fear rather than the distraction of specifics; the threat can no longer be imagined as some specific other — some other government, some other madman.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
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Stankovic attempted to make a hard evasive left turn and entered opposite traffic, hitting a Subaru Crosstrek, officials said.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elusive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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