: tending to elude: such as
a
: tending to evade grasp or pursuit
elusive prey
b
: hard to comprehend or define
c
: hard to isolate or identify
elusively
adverb
elusiveness
noun
Examples of elusive in a Sentence
But for all their influence, D.C. lobbyists have failed to attain one elusive goal: public respect.
—
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Recent Examples on the Web
In the Mogollon Monster room, participants are challenged to discover secrets and snap a photo of the elusive Mogollon Monster before authorities arrive to shut down the camp.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
This elusive mammal was spotted resting by the Godavari River, confirming its presence in the area despite previous anecdotal reports.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
But if Phoenix's lockdown defense can stop the MVP from scoring at will, then Thomas could finally earn her elusive first title after Finals losses in 2019 and 2022.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
But building blocks that connect seamlessly to existing networks remain elusive.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
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Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
This elusive mammal was spotted resting by the Godavari River, confirming its presence in the area despite previous anecdotal reports.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
But if Phoenix's lockdown defense can stop the MVP from scoring at will, then Thomas could finally earn her elusive first title after Finals losses in 2019 and 2022.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
But building blocks that connect seamlessly to existing networks remain elusive.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Cite this Entry
“Elusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elusive. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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