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
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Recent Examples of elliptical
Foliage is elliptical and blue-gray in color.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
Hawley’s take on the superhero genre, Legion, starring Dan Stevens as the titular B-tier X-Men character, was one of the strangest comic-book adaptations ever to air on a screen, visually stunning and narratively elliptical.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Researchers were not surprised, having modelled where the planet ought to be on its elliptical orbit.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
But the researchers found that by piecing together the four observations, a single, plausible world could emerge: a cool, Saturn-mass planet looping around the star every 1.5 to 2.5 Earth years on an elongated, elliptical orbit.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
Hawley’s take on the superhero genre, Legion, starring Dan Stevens as the titular B-tier X-Men character, was one of the strangest comic-book adaptations ever to air on a screen, visually stunning and narratively elliptical.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Researchers were not surprised, having modelled where the planet ought to be on its elliptical orbit.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
But the researchers found that by piecing together the four observations, a single, plausible world could emerge: a cool, Saturn-mass planet looping around the star every 1.5 to 2.5 Earth years on an elongated, elliptical orbit.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
These fish, known for their cryptic behavior, were identified as a neonative species, expanding their range naturally.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ars reached out to Google for an explanation, receiving a cryptic and somewhat unsatisfying reply.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Another shot showed a closeup of Wei’s new engagement ring, which featured an oval diamond on a golden band.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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The breathtaking trilogy ring has an oval diamond of approximately 35 carats at the center, with oval stones of roughly one carat on either side, Tobias Kormind, managing director of European jeweler 77 Diamonds, tells Robb Report.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
McVey, 28, has reaped a personal bonus from the concise coaching: he’s been freed up to develop his game by not having to direct traffic as much.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
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Then draft a concise, personalized cover letter highlighting my strongest fit points.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The first three episodes currently streaming on Paramount+ reveal that the Tiva dynamic remains as ambiguous as ever.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
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The term has become both expansive and ambiguous.—
Lauren Buitta,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The speech marked the foundation of an independent Vietnam after nearly a century of French colonial rule and a brief Japanese occupation during World War II, but the French did not recognise the new country and fought a decade-long war, which ended with their defeat in 1954.—
Phuong Nguyen,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In brief, the basic issue is the Second Amendment in a secular country.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Acclaimed country musician Orville Peck will make his film debut in Street Fighter as the enigmatic Vega, a masked fighter with a freaky set of Freddy Krueger claws.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Sep. 2025
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One of Al Pacino’s finest performances of the 1970s — which, with the Godfather films and Serpico, is an absurd hot hand — is as the enigmatic, wild-eyed Sonny, a man who performs a desperate bank robbery with his partner (the late John Cazale, by turns heartbreakingly clueless and dopily funny).—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For example, In case of curt texts, instead of assuming hostility, default to curiosity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The judge was curt but courteous; a Spanish-language interpreter was available on a large video screen to his right.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Yacobi’s defense attorney, however, countered with the findings of a forensic pathologist who said Violet died from blunt force trauma consistent with a fall from a second-story balcony.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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The coroner listed her cause of death as traumatic blunt force injuries and the manner of death as accidental.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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