1
as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the rebate form uses arcane language, the only purpose of which seems to be to disqualify buyers from actually getting a rebate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
my predecessor in this job obviously had his own arcane system for filing things, and so I haven't a clue as to where anything is
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arcane
On his own album, Granli inhabits each song with an arcane spirit, careful to never derail his fragile mystery.
—
H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, Petitioners may, because of the arcane United States immigration system, return to their home country, involuntarily or by self-deportation.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Due to the Recording Academy’s arcane rules, some artists, including Beyoncé and Cardi B, were never even eligible for a nomination.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Jan. 2026
At the time, the internet was an arcane world that made everyone an alien.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcane
H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, Petitioners may, because of the arcane United States immigration system, return to their home country, involuntarily or by self-deportation.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Due to the Recording Academy’s arcane rules, some artists, including Beyoncé and Cardi B, were never even eligible for a nomination.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Jan. 2026
At the time, the internet was an arcane world that made everyone an alien.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
-
Costs of jet fuel are spiraling, along with more esoteric commodities such as helium.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
-
That’s what notation makes possible — the esoteric.—
John Pavlus,
Quanta Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The three-page letter is somewhat cryptic.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The lyrics are often cryptic and clipped, but bear evidence of turbulence and tumult.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many joked that the clip explained years of mysterious toy discoveries beneath their own furniture.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Grace can’t see into the mysterious, opaque little organisms until a dead one becomes translucent.—
Deana L. Weibel,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Against a backdrop of social and geopolitical change, amid profound transformation both in Georgia and across the South Caucasus, their stories reveal how the will to dream, to resist, and to love becomes its own quiet blaze.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Because publishing—like many cultural industries—is navigating a period of profound change.—
Julie Finch,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Language that humans easily understand can be too ambiguous for machines, especially when multiple objects look similar.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Was there any thought of ending there and leaving what happens next ambiguous?—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His big break came when the Tar Heels hired him — a guy with direct connections to Air Force and Kansas, but not so much to UNC — to be an obscure assistant coach.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Rename the file, banish it to some obscure folder.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Yet, Tory Burch has always had the uncanny ability to peer into the future and unlock our unconscious desires.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Nuggets’ forwards have an uncanny habit of getting hurt all at once.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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