1
as in cryptic
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the huge stone statues on Easter Island are ancient, mysterious, and haunting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the stranger's mysterious prediction
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mysterious
Mistora, the mysterious cocktail bar that opened last year in Atlanta’s Piedmont Heights neighborhood, put a bad taste in my mouth before the first dish even touched my table.
—
Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The video showed the mysterious concept, dubbed Corleo, roaming rocky terrain, leaping over icy crevasses, crossing snowy landscapes without losing its footing, and traversing a dark forest at night — all while carrying an adult rider on its back and being powered by a hydrogen power cell.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 8 Jan. 2026
Set on Hawaii, The Wrecking Crew centers on estranged half-brothers Jonny (Momoa) and James (Bautista), who reluctantly reunite to investigate their father’s mysterious death.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
From a horrific account of an asteroid hitting Earth to an evil AI computer capable of designing deadly activities, readers will face the dark and mysterious corners of the human experience.
—Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The video showed the mysterious concept, dubbed Corleo, roaming rocky terrain, leaping over icy crevasses, crossing snowy landscapes without losing its footing, and traversing a dark forest at night — all while carrying an adult rider on its back and being powered by a hydrogen power cell.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 8 Jan. 2026
Set on Hawaii, The Wrecking Crew centers on estranged half-brothers Jonny (Momoa) and James (Bautista), who reluctantly reunite to investigate their father’s mysterious death.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
From a horrific account of an asteroid hitting Earth to an evil AI computer capable of designing deadly activities, readers will face the dark and mysterious corners of the human experience.
—Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
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In recent weeks, fans expressed concern after Spears posted dancing videos but opted to turn off comments on posts that had cryptic captions about her kids, Jayden James, 19, and Sean Preston, 20.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dropped a cryptic hint that a blockbuster trade was coming, and after the team acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals, many fans and analysts criticized Jones for overdelivering.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Even in agencies that have, some policies are weak or ambiguous.—
Ben Jones,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
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Even in agencies that have, some policies are weak or ambiguous.—
Ben Jones,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Pacino stars as the enigmatic titular figure, described as part muse, part ghost of cinema past.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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João Pessoa João Pessoa, the capital of the state of Paraíba, is an enigmatic coastal metropolis.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Don't feel afraid to play with bold (but dark) colors and various materials.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
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Open my soul to the vast dark places.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Helena, meanwhile, was supposedly a mystic receiving directions from spiritual masters hidden in the Himalayas.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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This was the danger Madison considered — that mystic memory would falsely elevate the Constitution.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Gardenia x daruma is an obscure dwarf hybrid that is hardy down to 20 degrees and, planted on its own, grows no more than three feet tall with small flowers and leaves.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement The Epstein case is yet another reminder of how power can both obscure harm and suppress the voices of survivors.—
Mónica Ramírez,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some of Lilo’s predictions have gone viral for their uncanny accuracy.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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There’s something uncanny about this still and stunning portrait of a twenty-one-year-old Taylor Swift, shot by Katy Grannan for Lizzie Widdicombe’s Profile of the singer, in 2011.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This design helps the sensor capture bright highlights and deep shadows in the same frame.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
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This could be easily written off as the financial mismanagement of youth, but taken as a whole, Gen Z’s outlook on the economy is at once a rejection of conventional wisdom and a deep, almost subconscious absorption of the commodification of everything.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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