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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Relevance
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arcane
Unfortunately, the only way to reform Colorado’s arcane property tax system will be by citizen initiative or constitutional amendments submitted directly to the voters.
—
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
The problem, apart from perennial budget pressures, is that interest in election mechanics — a technical and arcane subject if ever there was one — is episodic and fleeting.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz’s ‘Another League’ chronicles the defiant birth of women’s soccer in the waning years of Francisco Franco’s arcane dictatorship in early 1970s Spain – today the reigning world champions after winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026
The arthouse references might sound arcane, but this is Chen’s most accessible and borderline commercial effort to date.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
The problem, apart from perennial budget pressures, is that interest in election mechanics — a technical and arcane subject if ever there was one — is episodic and fleeting.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz’s ‘Another League’ chronicles the defiant birth of women’s soccer in the waning years of Francisco Franco’s arcane dictatorship in early 1970s Spain – today the reigning world champions after winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026
The arthouse references might sound arcane, but this is Chen’s most accessible and borderline commercial effort to date.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
-
As esoteric as its collection may seem, the bookstore itself makes exploration approachable.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Afshar has been returning to Iran’s southern islands of Hormuz and Qeshm since 2015, photographing the land, its residents and the invisible, esoteric forces that shape life there — the winds, which locals believe to be powerful entities.—
Adam Pourahmadi,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Eurich later posted a cryptic video to @dumbrblnd on April 21 that followers seemed to think was in reference to Murray.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In the weeks before Andrew Lloyd Webber announced the New York staging of his The Phantom of the Opera reboot Masquerade last year, cryptic messages and clues began popping up, not least being the appearance of the masked singer outside the Tony Awards ceremony.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, Ally’s peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger and is thrust into a journey real-life marine creatures as the film explores themes of friendship and courage.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Last House is about a family of four who are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat keeping them trapped.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These advancements demonstrate the technology’s rapid evolution from basic digital navigation to complex physical interaction, offering patients a path to re-engage with society in profound new ways.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The film will chart Butcher’s life on and off the pitch, including the profound impact of losing his son, as well as his subsequent work with peer-support organization Combat2Coffee.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And that ambiguous statement raised alarms not just with workers but also with human rights groups such as Amnesty International, which issued a World Cup travel advisory for visitors planning on attending the tournament.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The official public warnings for the next Soyuz rocket launch from Plesetsk were even more ambiguous, covering various periods between April 1 and 15.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The movie is available on YouTube, while the original documentary has been taken off HBO's streaming services until 2029 due to an obscure non-disparagement clause contained within a deal the premium cable service made with Jackson in 1992, as Reed told Variety.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Human ears couldn't possibly distinguish the names of obscure songs in one bar's music round.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cameras now deploy ever higher frame rates, as seen in the uncanny sheen of blockbusters by James Cameron and Peter Jackson, and films are shot, shown, and restored on ever higher resolutions (4K, 8K, and beyond).—
Dennis Lim,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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