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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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
-
Meanwhile, there’s a war on (Timothée Chalamet versus the esoteric performing arts) and the United States has made yet another military incursion into the Middle East.—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
15 Mar. 2026
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At the conference, there were several talks each day that delved into esoteric topics, such as gravitational wave physics, that would later dominate the field.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The composer behind Euphoria‘s memorable soundtrack called out the HBO show in a scathing and cryptic social media post.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
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With Liu's rise, her father's story bubbled up in China's social media, though any mention was usually brief and cryptic because the 1989 Tiananmen Movement — generally known as 6-4 for the date of the military crackdown, remains a deeply sensitive political taboo in China 37 years later.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Remote and mysterious, Rapa Nui continues to awe visitors who wonder how its earliest navigators found this isolated corner of the Pacific.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
-
This is the most mysterious part of this for now.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The film is an unflinching, lyrical, and ultimately moving study of an artist’s mind, offering profound insights into the intersections of mental health, creativity, loneliness, and human resilience.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
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Over time, this produces a quiet but profound transformation.—
Sarah Al Asmar,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The answer is not much—Fennell makes explicit, via sadomasochism, the power differentials and emotional degradations that are so often ambiguous in the original.—
Rhian Sasseen,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
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That the film doesn’t end on Marty’s comeuppance but something far more ambiguous feels correct.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
-
At Barclays Center, Florence + the Machine gather participants to complete the spell-casting circle of their mystic and witchy art-pop (April 21-22, 24).—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The structures of the UK distribution landscape are so limited and obscure.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
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The two sides are working out terms related to artificial intelligence, streaming residuals, and health and pension funding — along with more obscure subjects like exclusivity windows for TV series regulars.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This uncanny quality is most apparent in the treatment of Rubio’s vocals.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
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The central role of Nanno – an enigmatic transfer student whose uncanny insight into the moral failings of those around her drives each episode’s reckoning – is taken by 20-year-old Nakajima Arisa in her screen debut.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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