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
-
What role did the infamous and cryptic Bob Gray play in the story?—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Weeks before the actress officially filed for divorce, Kidman subtly alluded in a Vogue interview to what appeared to be a cryptic preview of the split.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Wait for the oval green fruits to drop on the ground.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Streamlining agendas and providing concise pre-read materials can allow directors to prepare thoughtfully and focus on strategic issues.—
Lara Abrash,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The running back's response was blunt, even if not necessarily concise.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 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
-
The brief Bagley lead was filed on behalf of Mathew Shurka, an LGBT advocate who testified in support of Colorado’s law while it was being debated.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Oct. 2025
-
And in what could be even better news—for everyone other than Matthews, anyway—his reign atop the earnings ranking is likely to be brief.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
7 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
-
Asked to assess his own performance afterward, Howard was curt.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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The answers Nora gets back from Azad’s father and brother are dismissive, curt, and even threatening.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
So began a campaign that fused blunt political messaging with bighearted moving images—a sensibility not unlike that of Nair’s films.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The running back's response was blunt, even if not necessarily concise.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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