1
as in cryptic
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the huge stone statues on Easter Island are ancient, mysterious, and haunting
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2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the stranger's mysterious prediction
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mysterious
But he’s recruited by mysterious government operative Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) for a monumental mission.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The film follows Shizuku, an introspective teenager whose encounter with a mysterious cat leads her to an unexpected artistic awakening.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
There’s Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, which Weisz’s character teaches to her students, about another unnamed narrator who develops an all-consuming obsession with her mysterious older husband’s dead wife, Rebecca.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
While others have shared my friend’s experience, a variety of factors—water temperature, visibility, the inscrutable whims of these mysterious creatures—can make spotting them a challenge.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The film follows Shizuku, an introspective teenager whose encounter with a mysterious cat leads her to an unexpected artistic awakening.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
There’s Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, which Weisz’s character teaches to her students, about another unnamed narrator who develops an all-consuming obsession with her mysterious older husband’s dead wife, Rebecca.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
While others have shared my friend’s experience, a variety of factors—water temperature, visibility, the inscrutable whims of these mysterious creatures—can make spotting them a challenge.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
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
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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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Much like the movie itself, the images captured by Jima on set are spare and enigmatic.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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Spiritual Festivals in Ethiopia As one of the world’s earliest Christian nations, Ethiopia makes for quite the enigmatic travel destination.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Police released an image captured from a surveillance video showing a person wearing dark clothes and a backpack, with their face covered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
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But the late-Baroque facade of the building conceals a special, darker history, one that reflects persistent political and legal problems for the bank thousands of miles away, in the US.—
Hugo Miller,
Bloomberg,
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
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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
Adjective
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Accessibility The property is deep in the jungle and has many winding paths and stairs to common areas, restaurants, and certain guest rooms.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
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As one leg swings forward, the other needs to help stabilize your pelvis and trunk — requiring coordinated engagement from your deep core, glute, hip and leg muscles.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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