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
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Recent Examples of arcane
The arcane disputes on constitutionality, quorum, discharge petitions, procedural rules, and hardball tactics from leadership appeared to — understandably — be extremely low on the president’s priority list.
—
Emily Brooks, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
What matters to progressive government is getting things done, not the arcane legal roadblocks set up by long-dead English colonists.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
On the positive side of the ledger, European policymakers are moving at a relatively fast pace, which is quite impressive given the typically slow churning of Europe’s arcane bureaucracy.
—Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2025
Well, the back-office operations, a lot of the more arcane things are very labor-intensive.
—Destinee Adams, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Emily Brooks, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
What matters to progressive government is getting things done, not the arcane legal roadblocks set up by long-dead English colonists.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
On the positive side of the ledger, European policymakers are moving at a relatively fast pace, which is quite impressive given the typically slow churning of Europe’s arcane bureaucracy.
—Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2025
Well, the back-office operations, a lot of the more arcane things are very labor-intensive.
—Destinee Adams, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
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Advocating for biological men in women’s locker rooms, while rooted in inclusivity, often feels esoteric to the typical voter.—
Nafees Alam,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Fertility data used to be a fairly esoteric concern.—
Noel King,
Vox,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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When an old acquaintance is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to ‘find the accountant,’ Wolff is compelled to solve the case.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Despite the cryptic message, many fans figured out where to find the singer and showed up in droves, forcing Lorde to initially cancel her appearance.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some people are already well aware of Norse Atlantic, despite the company’s somewhat mysterious profile.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Nathan Carman died by suicide in his jail cell in 2023 as the prime suspect in his mother’s mysterious 2016 drowning death at sea — and in the 2013 shooting death of his wealthy grandfather.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Erasing traditional industry hierarchies represents the most profound difference between the British and Swiss approach.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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But there’s also a remarkable elasticity to Bennett’s prose: the narrator’s thoughts stretch from the very inconsequential to the most profound.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the scene itself could be read as a little ambiguous, too: is Sammie trying to pierce the veil again, playing a song that could both foster community but also bring back the vampires?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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As the days turned into weeks, the reality of her situation remained ambiguous.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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According to Nutritionists By Brianna Peters In an era when nearly everything feels politicized and uncertain, these mystic tools offer something precious: a means of reconnecting with ourselves.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
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In the West, she’s been sanctified, but also portrayed as a sinner, a nun, a mystic, and Jesus’ wife.—
Eliza Griswold,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That included obscure cold opens and immersive world-building.—
Adelle Platon,
VIBE.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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But his recitation of Black Americans’ names also revealed that they were heavily weighted toward athletes and performers like Jackie Robinson and Aretha Franklin (on a list that includes relatively obscure conservative white thinkers such as Whittaker Chambers and Clare Boothe Luce).—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Whether Daboll possesses an uncanny ability to identify franchise quarterbacks or just got lucky with Allen, the Dart pick will at least provide an answer.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Born in Odessa, Texas, Kyle grew up hunting with his father and quickly discovered his uncanny aim.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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