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
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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
Walking, jogging, cycling, or using the elliptical at a sustainable pace all help build the aerobic base that makes daily life feel easier.
—
SELF, 23 Dec. 2025
As the moon follows an elliptical path, Saturn’s gravity stretches and squeezes it.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Instead, the solutions to an elliptic curve have a far richer structure — one that’s played a vital role in number theory for centuries, and that cryptographers have taken advantage of to encode secret messages.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
The result is digressive, elliptical, and occasionally absurd—and yet also genuinely revealing of the mental-health challenges facing pilots and the sometimes brutal social dynamics of the cockpit.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
SELF, 23 Dec. 2025
As the moon follows an elliptical path, Saturn’s gravity stretches and squeezes it.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Instead, the solutions to an elliptic curve have a far richer structure — one that’s played a vital role in number theory for centuries, and that cryptographers have taken advantage of to encode secret messages.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 12 Dec. 2025
The result is digressive, elliptical, and occasionally absurd—and yet also genuinely revealing of the mental-health challenges facing pilots and the sometimes brutal social dynamics of the cockpit.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
Disco, Occasionally, the British superstar’s fourth studio album that’s been teased via a creeping, ongoing rollout with cryptic posters, a WhatsApp chat, listening sessions in indie record shops and a series of city residencies in place of a sprawling global tour.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The announcement of a new tour and album comes weeks after Styles teased devotees with posters, videos, a cryptic website and an intriguing song snippet starting in late December.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The eight-piece set includes four mini cocottes, an oval casserole dish, a square baking dish, and a rectangular roasting pan with a lid.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
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Signature Oval Casserole For cooking tasks that require shallow sauteing, frying, or steaming, this oval casserole dish can handle roasts, whole fish, vegetables, and side dishes.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The company is also upgrading a proofreading option for checking grammar and making messages more concise.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
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Just across the street, Miya is a quirky, two-room Thai charmer with a relatively concise menu of curries, noodles, soups, salads and vegetables.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
When institutions offer ambiguous framing, populists provide clarity.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
This ambiguous legacy as both enslaver and emancipator has troubled Americans ever since.—
John Garrison Marks,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The incident caused brief traffic delays and drew a crowd of onlookers, but mall officials said other stores resumed normal operations after emergency crews gave the all-clear.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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In April, Blue Origin faced public backlash after flying an all-female celebrity crew — including Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, and Gayle King — on a brief, 11-minute trip to the edge of space.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This part of Utah is known for its dark skies which makes for optimal stargazing.—
Brittany Anas,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Prior to Washington's intervention, Venezuela relied on dark fleet tankers to export its oil and most flows headed to China, a key market for bitumen-rich grades such as Merey.—
Weilun Soon Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.—
Mary Ellen O'Connell,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
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Not surprisingly, given the risk of summary execution, many had initial doubts.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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How, then, could a king become so obscure, especially to his own people?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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The intelligence assessment notes that dozens of companies linked to the group frequently rotate formal ownership and executive roles among family members, a structure investigators say is designed to complicate oversight, dilute legal exposure, and obscure ultimate beneficiaries.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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