variants
or elliptic
1
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the poet's elliptical style is such that the reader often senses that an allusion is being made—but to what exactly?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
his elliptical replies can seem rude to some people, but that's just his way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of elliptical
The hell-raising track comes with an elliptical video directed by Mackai Sharp.
—
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
With veteran producers like alt-rock hand Jackknife Lee and Charli XCX assist man Justin Raisen on board, as well as the band’s crack current lineup (which includes Sleater-Kinney/Quasi drummer Janet Weiss on one track), that elliptical magic happens more often than not.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Already budgeting time for the elliptical or the free weights area ahead of your next gym visit?
—Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
Riverwork, only her second novel after a lifetime of ludic, elliptical poetry, assigns itself an essentially recuperative and archival undertaking.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
With veteran producers like alt-rock hand Jackknife Lee and Charli XCX assist man Justin Raisen on board, as well as the band’s crack current lineup (which includes Sleater-Kinney/Quasi drummer Janet Weiss on one track), that elliptical magic happens more often than not.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Already budgeting time for the elliptical or the free weights area ahead of your next gym visit?
—Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
Riverwork, only her second novel after a lifetime of ludic, elliptical poetry, assigns itself an essentially recuperative and archival undertaking.
—Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
Bunnie Xo has shared a cryptic video on social media after news of her split from Jelly Roll surfaced.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Jelly Roll is clarifying a cryptic post that's going viral amid his divorce from Bunnie Xo.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Add a circular or oval coffee table to complement the rounded lines.—
Blake Bakkila,
Architectural Digest,
22 June 2026
-
Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds in London, told People the oval center stone was approximately 35 carats.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Get concise answers to your questions.—
Mary Ilyushina,
Washington Post,
21 June 2026
-
After considering a visitor’s question for a few seconds, the AI avatar gave a concise ruling, with specific citations to the USGA rulebook.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
As the noise-rap-electro act Jane Remover shrieked and pleaded through a 90-minute marathon set at the Fonda on Thursday night, one very young couple dressed right out of a conservative‘s nightmare — gender-ambiguous, purple hair, facial piercings — tapped me on the shoulder.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
At a billion scans a month, even modest rates imply hundreds of millions of ambiguous results a year, each one demanding a clinical decision and producing a worried customer.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
For a team that began the season with off days coming at a premium, a brief stretch with two open dates is a respite from the wear and tear of a long season.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
25 June 2026
-
So far, operations have run relatively smooth, save for a brief power outage that led to a pretzel shortage.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Adjective
-
Tourism and city officials say that marketplace channels festival foot traffic directly to Black entrepreneurs and helps keep dollars circulating in local neighborhoods long after the stages go dark.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
Jason kept the look casual in a light blue graphic T-shirt, white shorts, a baseball cap and dark sunglasses.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Adjective
-
The judge considered hundreds of pages of evidence and testimony from San Diego officials, homeowners and their lawyers and determined that the city had not met the burden for what is called summary adjudication in any of the five causes of actions.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.—
Mary Ellen O'Connell,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
What has changed in recent years, however, is that prediction markets are no longer an obscure pastime enjoyed by political junkies.—
Matt Motta,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
-
What many people don’t know is that an earlier and more obscure stint during the administration of President Gerald Ford shaped him as a public servant.—
Paul Wachtel,
The Conversation,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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