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.
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Recent Examples of elliptical
The last three full moons of 2025, coming in early October, November and December, will be supermoons — appearing at closest point to Earth in the body's elliptical orbit, or perigee, according to NASA.
—
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Options for tracking include basics like biking, running, and walking, as well as a number of different sports such as basketball, pickleball, and soccer, and other activities like elliptical workouts, high-intensity interval training, pilates, and yoga.
—PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025
Based on Denis Johnson’s award-winning novella, this artful, elliptical tale of one ordinary man’s life (Edgerton) in the early 20th century has already received rave reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival.
—Tolly Wright, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
As per the press release, these included small, circular protrusions or bumps, elliptical protrusions with a fingerprint-like pattern, and a third set of large, round marks.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Options for tracking include basics like biking, running, and walking, as well as a number of different sports such as basketball, pickleball, and soccer, and other activities like elliptical workouts, high-intensity interval training, pilates, and yoga.
—PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025
Based on Denis Johnson’s award-winning novella, this artful, elliptical tale of one ordinary man’s life (Edgerton) in the early 20th century has already received rave reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival.
—Tolly Wright, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
As per the press release, these included small, circular protrusions or bumps, elliptical protrusions with a fingerprint-like pattern, and a third set of large, round marks.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
Strange statues and cryptic riddles in Italian or Latin appear around every corner, making each visit feel like a discovery that the whole family can enjoy.—
Fulvio De Bonis,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Danity Kane has revealed dates for a collection of reunion performances with cryptic messaging.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hanging below the vast cosmic heart is a knot of dust and gas known informally as the Fishhead Nebula, thanks to its vaguely oval outline and a dark dust filament that gives it the appearance of an aquatic creature.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The main use case for an oval Dutch oven is for large cuts of meat like a rack of lamb.—
Emily Johnson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The initiative focuses on publishing concise, high-quality species descriptions to shorten the gap between discovery and formal recognition drastically.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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The other cuts in as needed — concise, disarming, right on cue.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the institute statement, which remained ambiguous about the mosquito’s permanence, the insect probably arrived via freight transportation.—
Margherita Bassi,
Popular Science,
23 Oct. 2025
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Perhaps its message is meant to be deliberately ambiguous—or maybe there’s no message at all.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Weigert, 56, left Tracker after season 1, and like Sunday’s episode, her absence was also explained within the show during a brief conversation in season 2.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The politically motivated preemption of the late-night program following host Jimmy Kimmel's brief remarks regarding the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk drove a massive wave of Disney+ subscription cancellations, a new report from the research firm Antenna shows, per The New York Times.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s more, Murnau and screenwriter Henrik Galeen transformed Stoker’s novel into an enigmatic fairy tale.—
Robert Eggers,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
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And with a new and enigmatic Duke at the helm, Tintagel is also facing an uncertain future.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Less than a day later, a curt follow-up email landed in many of their inboxes informing them that they weren’t being let go after all.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
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Asked to assess his own performance afterward, Howard was curt.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
On one occasion, a blunt-nosed viper misjudged the distance to its prey.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
23 Oct. 2025
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Boyle also sported blonde, shoulder length hair that was styled straight with blunt bangs.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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