plural sphinxes or sphinges
ˈsfin-ˌjēz 
1
a
capitalized
: a winged female monster in Greek mythology having a woman's head and a lion's body and noted for killing anyone unable to answer its riddle
b
: an enigmatic or mysterious person
she is a sphinx whose features hold a blank fascination
2
: an ancient Egyptian image in the form of a recumbent lion having a man's head, a ram's head, or a hawk's head
Examples of sphinx in a Sentence
a statue of the Sphinx
Recent Examples on the Web
Other theories to explain the curse include worker deaths during construction, the hotel’s 2008 installation of a Titanic exhibit and the fact that the sphinx has no pair (Egyptian mythology may hold that a singular sphinx could leave its pyramid exposed).
—
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024
Though Napoleon’s troops were accused of defacing the sphinx nothing of the kind ever occurred.
—Zenger News, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Abdel Ghaffar says her favorite way to see the pyramids, temples, and giant sphinx, however, is via the traditional camel rides offered by local guides on-site.
—Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2023
But under Netflix’s ownership, the Egyptian’s exterior and interior, ornately adorned with hieroglyphics and sphinxes, have been restored, the theater’s lighting and sound system have been upgraded and the theater has been seismically retrofitted to meet a city mandate.
—Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2023
That was one big point of the sugarcoated sphinx that Kara Walker installed in one of the Domino warehouses in 2014, shortly before its demolition.
—Curbed, 27 Sep. 2023
Advertisement For most people, that position, a bit like the sphinx pose in yoga, is hard to hold for more than a minute on dry land.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
The smiling sphinx statue is not to be confused with the far larger sphinx at the Giza pyramid complex, which measures 73 meters long and 20 meters high.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023
The temple also draws heavily from ancient Egyptian architecture (a running theme in Halsey’s work) and is framed by fluted columns and several sphinxes, one of which bears the visage of the artist’s mother.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2023
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024
Though Napoleon’s troops were accused of defacing the sphinx nothing of the kind ever occurred.
—Zenger News, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Abdel Ghaffar says her favorite way to see the pyramids, temples, and giant sphinx, however, is via the traditional camel rides offered by local guides on-site.
—Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2023
But under Netflix’s ownership, the Egyptian’s exterior and interior, ornately adorned with hieroglyphics and sphinxes, have been restored, the theater’s lighting and sound system have been upgraded and the theater has been seismically retrofitted to meet a city mandate.
—Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2023
That was one big point of the sugarcoated sphinx that Kara Walker installed in one of the Domino warehouses in 2014, shortly before its demolition.
—Curbed, 27 Sep. 2023
Advertisement For most people, that position, a bit like the sphinx pose in yoga, is hard to hold for more than a minute on dry land.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
The smiling sphinx statue is not to be confused with the far larger sphinx at the Giza pyramid complex, which measures 73 meters long and 20 meters high.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023
The temple also draws heavily from ancient Egyptian architecture (a running theme in Halsey’s work) and is framed by fluted columns and several sphinxes, one of which bears the visage of the artist’s mother.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sphinx.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sphinx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sphinx. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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sphinx
noun
plural sphinxes or sphinges
ˈsfin-ˌjēz
: an ancient Egyptian image having the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk
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