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
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
-
Welch announced their album Everybody Scream back in August, following a few cryptic teasers.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
-
This led many fans to believe that online discussions and interviews referencing his expiring contract were part of an elaborate storyline, given Kross's cryptic persona.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
-
With stunning celerity, possibility becomes probability and then certainty, as readers reject the quiet, circuitous, and unglamorous narratives of prudential compromise, ambiguous diplomacy, or incremental progress.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Ibsen’s choice to use Hedda’s maiden name for the play speaks to her resistance to the strong presence of men in her life; DaCosta’s choice to remove the surname entirely speaks to a rejection of patriarchal identity, replaced with an ambiguous void that Hedda herself doesn’t know how to fill.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
After a brief struggle for traction, the robot regained control by crouching slightly, mimicking a human posture to exert force.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Oct. 2025
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But the music industry can be particularly cruel to sexy women, their shelf life being brief.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mia Wasikowska plays Edith, an heiress who marries a seductive baron, Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), and moves into his enormous, decaying mansion — which is also inhabited by Thomas' enigmatic sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain).—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
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Brides finds Sally Bishop (Cooke) and her husband on a trip to Northern Italy in 1961, where they get stranded at a remote villa run by the enigmatic Vova (Lawtey), who presides over a household of beautiful, deathless women (Turner-Smith, Prettejohn) and their caretaker (Gorman).—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
-
This episode — which consists almost entirely of characters sharing formative incidents from their pasts — is an unusually blunt device for delivering backstory.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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The medical examiner later concluded in an autopsy report that the 11-year-old died after being stabbed 18 times, sustaining four blunt force injuries and being shot once in the face.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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