as in slippery
hard to find, capture, or isolate
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elusive
But a permanent settlement remains elusive in the war that has killed thousands of people.
—
Samy Magdy, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
That’s manifest fabulously well here by Cedric and Santiago-Hudson, with Boyd and Wureh exploring the fate of young women adrift in this landscape and relying on men for an anchor, a rooting that too often proved elusive.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
The truth in this story seems to be elusive and unknowable, and this circles back to your earlier question about what kind of assumptions are made about people with names like Saïd or Tamerlan.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Moviegoers over the age of 55 rarely turn out for opening weekend; teenagers can be just as elusive.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Samy Magdy, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
That’s manifest fabulously well here by Cedric and Santiago-Hudson, with Boyd and Wureh exploring the fate of young women adrift in this landscape and relying on men for an anchor, a rooting that too often proved elusive.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
The truth in this story seems to be elusive and unknowable, and this circles back to your earlier question about what kind of assumptions are made about people with names like Saïd or Tamerlan.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Moviegoers over the age of 55 rarely turn out for opening weekend; teenagers can be just as elusive.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elusive
Adjective
-
Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road slippery.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road slippery.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
City officials are pitching the measure, officially known as the transient occupancy tax, as a way to raise money for critical public services without asking residents to pay more.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
The city’s transient occupancy tax, also known as a bed or hotel tax, is 14% of the room rate.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Pursuits are when deputies follow in an attempt to apprehend suspects who are trying to evade arrest, driving at high speeds or through other evasive tactics.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
According to a live feed from The New York Times, within minutes of the third day starting, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers had to reproach Musk, instructing him to stop being sarcastic and evasive.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elusive. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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