variants
or elliptic
1
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the poet's elliptical style is such that the reader often senses that an allusion is being made—but to what exactly?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
his elliptical replies can seem rude to some people, but that's just his way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 elliptical
Moderate-intensity—your effort feels like a 4 to 6 on a scale of 1 to 10—cardio can include low-impact aerobic workouts like brisk walking, light cycling, elliptical use, swimming, water aerobics, hiking, rowing, and stair climbing.
—
Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 6 Feb. 2026
Mathematicians describe situations like this using what are called elliptic PDEs.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
In a binary system, the two stars usually differ slightly in mass and move along stretched, elliptical paths.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Then in her mid-fifties, Bainbridge was already well on her way to the status of a slightly rackety grande dame, having made her name in the Seventies with a blizzard of short, elliptical novels, comic in execution but tinged with an underlying darkness.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 6 Feb. 2026
Mathematicians describe situations like this using what are called elliptic PDEs.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
In a binary system, the two stars usually differ slightly in mass and move along stretched, elliptical paths.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Then in her mid-fifties, Bainbridge was already well on her way to the status of a slightly rackety grande dame, having made her name in the Seventies with a blizzard of short, elliptical novels, comic in execution but tinged with an underlying darkness.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
Strange rituals conducted by children unfold on the beach; dance parties at the big club devolve into fever dream bacchanals; cryptic, threatening symbols appear near the rental house.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Boil it down to just one musician and an acoustic guitar to reveal the durability of this cryptic, futuristic sound.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The ring features a 12-carat, oval Ceylon sapphire at its center surrounded by a halo of 14 diamonds set in 18k white gold—by anyone’s eye, a beautiful piece.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Oval Glass Doors That front door with an oval glass inset?—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Clear, commanding and concise instructions.—
Andy McGrath,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Get concise answers to your questions.—
Phil Davison,
Washington Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Times when a gay man from Texas needn’t rely on ambiguous pronouns and discreet interviews to court a broad audience.—
Brian Howe,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
-
And as a result, the show — accompanied by some quite instructive poster art — stays true to the book’s lusty approach to ethically ambiguous relationships in academia.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Traditional mechanical breakers take milliseconds to interrupt a fault, a brief but dangerous window where an arc flash, or dangerous, high-temperature electrical explosion, can occur.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Gaither spent three days stranded in Doha after only intending to make a brief stop there following an African safari.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Police released an image captured from a surveillance video showing a person wearing dark clothes and a backpack, with their face covered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
But the late-Baroque facade of the building conceals a special, darker history, one that reflects persistent political and legal problems for the bank thousands of miles away, in the US.—
Hugo Miller,
Bloomberg,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.—
Mary Ellen O'Connell,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Not surprisingly, given the risk of summary execution, many had initial doubts.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The structures of the UK distribution landscape are so limited and obscure.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The two sides are working out terms related to artificial intelligence, streaming residuals, and health and pension funding — along with more obscure subjects like exclusivity windows for TV series regulars.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
