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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arcane
Winning those contests would grant players Legacy Tickets that would then be automatically converted to GALA using an arcane formula at the end of every day.
—
ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
The late-night vote series in the Senate this week was part of an arcane, complicated process called budget reconciliation that GOP leaders are using to try to fund the two immigration enforcement agencies that Democrats continue to block.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Taps dispense arcane suds, like a seasonal-favorite watermelon gose.
—Chris Malloy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for arcane
ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
The late-night vote series in the Senate this week was part of an arcane, complicated process called budget reconciliation that GOP leaders are using to try to fund the two immigration enforcement agencies that Democrats continue to block.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Taps dispense arcane suds, like a seasonal-favorite watermelon gose.
—Chris Malloy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
-
Helen Mirren, Russell Crowe, Scott Eastwood, and Gore Verbinsky are among top talents set to attend Italy’s upcoming Taormina Film Festival that has unveiled the lineup for its upcoming 72nd edition that will mix crowdpleasers with more esoteric quality fare.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
4 June 2026
-
The menu is sprawling and eclectic, teeming with esoteric functional ingredients.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Although Suki Waterhouse did confirm that she is set to attend, most of the couple's friends have been very cryptic about the status of their wedding invites.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
-
Coaches and teammates have struggled to remain in contact with him, and AIyuk’s rare social media posts have been both cryptic and lacking clues about his football ambitions.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Brandon Aiyuk’s recent emergence on social media now includes his bluntest message yet about a mysterious estrangement with the 49ers.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
-
The mysterious illness would later take on the town's name, Lyme disease.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Through cinéma vérité scenes, archival footage, and interviews, the film explores the relationship between art and civic life — how storytelling can help restore a sense of community after profound tragedy.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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This resilience boils down to a profound decoupling of casual foot traffic from pure discretionary spending.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The entity known as Mother is left ambiguous, as is the tree inside the Cave of Wonders, but there are hints to their true nature.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
If a serious spending-reduction effort were somehow mounted anyway, the result would likely be positive for bonds — but ambiguous for equities, since the economic drag could easily outweigh the benefit of lower interest rates.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
My family tree was obscure, its branches hidden.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
City authorities have cited the obscure commission’s denial as reason for not moving forward even though the City Council voted in favor of the project.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
But their inner lives don’t hold shape the way her little girls (and boys) do, with their uncanny dialogue and idiosyncratic observations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Eastern Forest Tick Examined under a microscope, this minuscule parasite bears an uncanny resemblance to your childhood bully, right down to its mullet and Van Halen T-shirt.—
Jay Ruttenberg,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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