1
2
as in nobody
a person of no importance or influence
it was either write the Great American Novel or be consigned to the status of a cipher in the annals of literature
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to figure
to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations
were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cipher
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
We’re used to seeing movie presidents who are stalwart ciphers, but Harrison Ford plays Ross like Ronald Reagan with anger-management issues.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025
Stephen Nash, New York Times, 25 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for cipher
Noun
If Belinda’s lightning-fast transformation is a cipher for Mike White’s thoughts on the corrosive power of money, then perhaps Laurie’s emotional speech comes closest to explaining how a good life could be oriented.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
We’re used to seeing movie presidents who are stalwart ciphers, but Harrison Ford plays Ross like Ronald Reagan with anger-management issues.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
These remnants, signals from an earlier phase of our human condition, have been endlessly ciphered by generations of archaeologists in the Bears Ears region (which is named for twin buttes near its center).
—Stephen Nash, New York Times, 25 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for cipher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cipher
Noun
-
My memoir was built of gaps, juxtaposition, weird little nothings.—
Cheri Lucas Rowlands,
Longreads,
16 Dec. 2024
-
The one whose legs turned nothings into somethings, improvising the Lions’ entire defensive game plan into a pile of ash?—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2024
Noun
-
None of these nobodies is performing like Grimes just yet, and until someone does Grier better get active trying to find a handful of veteran cornerbacks whom this team can call on, and sign to patch up the weakest unit on the team.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
-
And maybe that’s a metaphor for the way a lot of middle-class nobodies feel.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
This year’s snub doesn’t figure to start a trend, however, as incoming freshman guard Darryn Peterson is ESPN.com’s early choice to be selected No. 1 overall in June 2026.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
30 June 2025
-
Walker Buehler has spent weeks now trying to figure things out.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
That inning resulted in some changes on our end and he’s put up zeros ever since.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025
-
Palmquist settled in after the opening inning, posting three straight zeros as the Rockies took their first lead in the fourth off Ryan McMahon’s leadoff homer.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
Tell me a little bit about the technical side of filming a dwarf and an elf together.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
13 Oct. 2022
-
Other new characters include Disa, the first female dwarf ever shown in the Lord of the Rings series.—
Ethan Millman,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2022
Verb
-
Using statistical methods, the researchers calculated 6,029 excess deaths in the most permissive states between 2011 and 2023, compared with the number of deaths that would have been expected under the states’ pre-McDonald rules.—
Tribune News Service,
Twin Cities,
21 June 2025
-
The stress capital buffer is just one of the components used to calculate each bank’s overall Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio requirement, which is expressed as a percentage and acts as a floor that must be met.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Specs Field of view 6.5° (341 feet at 1,000 yards) Close focus 10 feet Weight 12.4 oz (351 g) Eye relief 16mm More Great Compact Binoculars Photograph: Zeiss Zeiss Terra ED 8 x 25 Binoculars $400 Amazon These lightweight (10.9 ounces) pocket bins from Zeiss deliver a very good, sharp image.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
25 June 2025
-
Since aluminum isn’t heavy and doesn’t rust in salty conditions, options like the lightweight CoolCabana5 are a great choice for the beach.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Last month, Microsoft released a modern remake of its classic MS-DOS Editor, bringing back a piece of computing history that first appeared in MS-DOS 5.0 back in 1991.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2025
-
This regulatory blueprint arrives at a sensitive time, just as computing power surges, promising myriad benefits.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cipher. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share