1
2
as in numbers
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 figures
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
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Recent Examples of ciphers
Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
Like Dostoyevsky, Capote doesn’t portray his killers as demonic ciphers, instead capturing their messy complexity.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Two streetlamps engaged in a mute but luminous dialogue, an indecipherable Morse code, alluding to the silent exchanges and secret ciphers of strangers who meet there for their trysts.
—Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Such ciphers are easy to crack using techniques such as checking letter frequency and identifying common patterns.
—PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
She, the cinema; he, the audience — these ciphers would be compelling in short-form, but in carrying a feature they’re only buoyed by the natural chemistry of their performers.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Most organizations have little to no understanding of what cryptographic ciphers, keys and protocols are in use across their networks, applications and devices.
—Anand Oswal, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
During this time, three judges are going to watch the ciphers and pick the top four breakers for the adult category and the top four breakers for the youth category.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
The Blind Owl is extremely dense, brimming with metaphors and ciphers and symbols.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
Like Dostoyevsky, Capote doesn’t portray his killers as demonic ciphers, instead capturing their messy complexity.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Two streetlamps engaged in a mute but luminous dialogue, an indecipherable Morse code, alluding to the silent exchanges and secret ciphers of strangers who meet there for their trysts.
—Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Such ciphers are easy to crack using techniques such as checking letter frequency and identifying common patterns.
—PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
She, the cinema; he, the audience — these ciphers would be compelling in short-form, but in carrying a feature they’re only buoyed by the natural chemistry of their performers.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Most organizations have little to no understanding of what cryptographic ciphers, keys and protocols are in use across their networks, applications and devices.
—Anand Oswal, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
During this time, three judges are going to watch the ciphers and pick the top four breakers for the adult category and the top four breakers for the youth category.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ciphers
Noun
-
The Ducks dominated the first period by every measure except the score, with zeros remaining on the board as the teams headed to their respective dressing rooms.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
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And even that isn’t conceded until the game clock strikes triple zeroes.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Arvell Reese figures to be long gone by the time the Panthers pick, and Sonny Styles also might be off the board.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This year, the event figures to be the best one yet, as Team USA is stacked with the two-time reigning American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge, and each of the reigning Cy Young Award winners in Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Where else could award winning writers pop off about nothing at all, and nobodies could rattle the ivory towers?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
-
Professional athletes, however, aren’t nobodies.—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Zillow calculates the value of a typical home using the average middle third of home values (eliminating statistical anomalies at the high and low end).—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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Randolph said then that the agency, known by the acronym CARB, calculates impacts to health and health disparities in certain communities but not the retail costs to consumers.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hughes is one of the world's top lightweights in MMA, the sport where McGregor built his following and name.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Researchers closely studied how thrips respond to temperature, simulating cold and heat exposures to see how long the insects could survive.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Elephants regularly take dust baths to rid their hides of insects and irritation.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Plus Brock and Sindri, the gear upgrade dwarves.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Iran has a grim history of crushing dissent, but the latest crackdown dwarfs anything seen during the repressive Islamic theocracy’s 47 years in power, evidence trickling out of Iran suggests.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ciphers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ciphers. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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