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
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.
—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, frequently sent threats, demands and ciphers to multiple local papers — namely the San Francisco Chronicle.
—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.
—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, frequently sent threats, demands and ciphers to multiple local papers — namely the San Francisco Chronicle.
—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ciphers
Noun
-
Those bits are oriented as either ones or zeroes, indicating on/off switches that make up the basic inputs of any task performed by a computer.
-
The Skippers pushed their advantage to 6-0 before the clock hit triple zeroes in the opening frame.
Noun
-
Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
-
Seattle’s John Schneider and New England’s Eliot Wolf rose up from young nobodies to graduate from Green Bay Packers University, too.
Verb
-
If Clark falters or Shinnecock Hills rises up — now less likely with the wind expected to calm down — then Scheffler figures to be the best bet to scoop up the trophy and wrap up the career Grand Slam.
-
Morris, acquired June 4 from the Kansas City Chiefs, figures to be the swing tackle replacement for Storm Norton, who’s out for the second straight season.
Noun
-
Jupiter, by comparison, is as much as 35 times denser than these two lightweights.
-
The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).
Verb
-
The agency calculates the cost to plug them is around $155 million.
-
The handicap is determined by a volunteer gathering data in the air and a committee that calculates the maximum airspeed of each craft.
Noun
-
Though the scent can deter mosquitoes, beneficial insects like bees, lacewings, and butterflies love the tiny flowers.
-
When the weather is severe, many insects want to come inside to find water or stay safe.
Noun
-
Brown dwarfs are weird objects that have masses that are intermediate between those of giant planets and small stars.
-
Writer Steve Phillips’ investments in the race dwarfs spending by any other single donor.
Cite this Entry
“Ciphers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ciphers. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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