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Synonym Chooser

How is the word cryptic different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of cryptic are ambiguous, dark, enigmatic, equivocal, obscure, and vague. While all these words mean "not clearly understandable," cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

When is it sensible to use ambiguous instead of cryptic?

While the synonyms ambiguous and cryptic are close in meaning, ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

In what contexts can dark take the place of cryptic?

The words dark and cryptic can be used in similar contexts, but dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

When might enigmatic be a better fit than cryptic?

The words enigmatic and cryptic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

When can equivocal be used instead of cryptic?

Although the words equivocal and cryptic have much in common, equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

When would obscure be a good substitute for cryptic?

While in some cases nearly identical to cryptic, obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

When could vague be used to replace cryptic?

The synonyms vague and cryptic are sometimes interchangeable, but vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

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 cryptic The cryptic video came after one of the ugliest stretches yet in Cardi and Minaj’s decade-long feud. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 3 Oct. 2025 This cryptic species, first described in 2001, was among several mammals recorded by trail cameras set up by researchers. Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 Overstreet also made cryptic comments after learning from TV reports that Myers' body was found at Teal Marsh at Atterbury, one of his favorite fishing spots, Holland told police, according to court filings. Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025 That same day, Haley shared a cryptic message on TikTok that fueled her twin's breakup rumors. Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cryptic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cryptic
Adjective
  • George MacKay and Callum Turner star in the eerie drama, playing fishermen in a remote village in Cornwall who board a mysterious ship that appears to be caught in a time loop.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
  • God, or the Universe, works in mysterious ways.
    Big Think, Big Think, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Maybe the purposefully ambiguous coda was concocted to prove some sort of Rashomon-style truth-is-subjective point.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
  • While the unfinished project remains ambiguous, the viewer catches glimpses of what the plot might have been about, where Jiang's character has grown from a wandering youth to a wealthy entrepreneur.
    Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And with a new and enigmatic Duke at the helm, Tintagel is also facing an uncertain future.
    Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Though the television show portrays Gein as a character so eccentric that townspeople don't feel comfortable sharing a nearby seat with him at the local diner, Gein was enigmatic but trustworthy to the locals in his younger years.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The obscure defensive lineman spent the first month of the season on the shelf, but after returning for the 27-24 comeback win over the Miami Dolphins, the former Alabama standout is expected to be a healthy presence in the trenches for the Carolina Panthers.
    Mike Kaye October 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Instead of invoking the Act, the White House is using Section 12-406 of Title 10, an obscure provision of federal law, to claim authority to bring in National Guard troops, NPR's Jaclyn Diaz tells Up First.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Sigmund Freud defines the uncanny as the nagging presence of the familiar within the strange, the strange within the familiar.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
  • These are essentially gothic works, in which bleary, nocturnal isolation opens a door to bizarre impulses and uncanny transformations.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Smithsonian Institution, which includes all the Smithsonian museums, plans to go dark after Saturday if the government shutdown continues beyond then, according to its website.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Polselli brings a painterly gaze to scenes of quiet dread, such as a figure gradually appearing out of thick brush as two women make their way home through dark woods.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This was the danger Madison considered — that mystic memory would falsely elevate the Constitution.
    Big Think, Big Think, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Despite some promising high-concept notions such as an intergalactic federation, mystic beings, parasitic species, a sentient interstellar craft, and Slipstream FTL quantum mechanics, seemingly inevitable creative differences arose as the show progressed.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cryptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cryptic. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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