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
-
Berkhout highlights how this binary language is translated into computer language through zeros and ones used for programming.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
-
According to the latest bound, proved in 2004 by Imre Ruzsa of the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics in Hungary, a sum of 1020 cosines — that’s a 1 with 20 zeros after it, about the number of molecules in a cubic inch of air — must have a minimum value smaller than about −7.—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Jones, who figures to be back for offseason work, and Talanoa Hufanga play with an aggressive style at safety that will continue to make depth critical for the Broncos in the back end of the secondary.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The vagaries of the schedule are something that figures to hamper MLS teams all season.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 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
-
Tyler has been embedded in the treasurer’s office, which calculates and mails out property tax bills, for years.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
That’s what my trusty spreadsheet found after reviewing a BatchData report from the third quarter of 2025 that calculates investor ownership of houses and townhomes nationwide.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Monte Vista boasts a pair of solid lightweights in Alexa Malinis (100) and Katara Ortiz (105).—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
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
-
Poly means many and ticks are blood-sucking insects.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The reflective foil discourages unwanted insects and pests like slugs from approaching and harming the plants, but actually helps to attract butterflies.—
Darcy Lenz,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The ditch that’s up to 19 feet deep dwarfs the heavy machinery inside of it.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Plus Brock and Sindri, the gear upgrade dwarves.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ciphers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ciphers. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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