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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Recent Examples of mysterious
Clara’s mysterious return Ariel Staltari as Omar and Oriana Cárdenas as Inga in The Eternaut Courtesy of Netflix
Clara, Juan’s teenage daughter with his ex-wife Elena, disappears early in the series.
—
Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 1 May 2025
In photographs of mysterious origin floating around her fan accounts, the Brat singer appears to be wearing the tee with a few glasses in front of her.
—Sam Manzella, Them., 1 May 2025
Some people are already well aware of Norse Atlantic, despite the company’s somewhat mysterious profile.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 1 May 2025
In photographs of mysterious origin floating around her fan accounts, the Brat singer appears to be wearing the tee with a few glasses in front of her.
—Sam Manzella, Them., 1 May 2025
Some people are already well aware of Norse Atlantic, despite the company’s somewhat mysterious profile.
—Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
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The crime scene was made more terrifying by a cryptic message the killer scrawled across a wall near the victims that demanded drug money.—
David Schutz,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2025
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Fans immediately took the cryptic message as a subtle reference to the current state of their friendship, as the singer and fashion pro have been besties for over 30 years.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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Storm clouds loomed over Europe, and Adolf Hitler's ambitions were not ambiguous for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear—especially U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
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Timing for the start of production is likewise ambiguous.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His early career, however, was marked by several more enigmatic turns in films like Clay Pigeons (1998) and Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake (1998).—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
9 May 2025
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The feature, based on an award-winning short, traces the story of an enigmatic old man living in the dunes who is unjustly accused of killing a local.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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All Fair remembers of that dark time in her life was having ongoing headaches, throwing up and struggling with her balance.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
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Suddenly, somebody invented a machine and offered them a new deal: Work in this stinky dark factory or starve.—
Karim Doumar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 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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These renderings obscure just how much conventional warfare took place in Vietnam.—
Made by History,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
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Parsing a FromSoftware game's obscure plot is as tricky as taking down its brutal enemies.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Each week, Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale would drive into a new locale, discover that a murder had taken place, and solve it using her uncanny ability to recognize when people are lying.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
9 May 2025
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The weekly Colombo-esque whodunnit follows Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a woman whose uncanny ability to spot a lie routinely gets her in trouble.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 May 2025
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The viral dystopic show, which centers around main character Seong Gi-hun or Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae), has delighted fans since its 2021 premiere, combining classic thriller elements with a deeper exploration of the human capacity for evil and the perils of an unequal society. Surprise!—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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