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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mysterious
Cornman arrived in Colorado just as the airlines were confronting a series of mysterious crashes.
—
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Robert Garrett still waits The mysterious absence of Crenshaw football coach Robert Garrett continues.
—Eric Sondheimer
columnist
follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Some are covered in oceans, some erupt with lava, and others hide mysterious subsurface seas that could potentially support life.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 1 Mar. 2026
In late 2025 a mysterious comet flew between the orbits of Earth and Mars and reached a speed of more than 150,000 miles per hour during its closest approach to the sun.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Robert Garrett still waits The mysterious absence of Crenshaw football coach Robert Garrett continues.
—Eric Sondheimer
columnist
follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Some are covered in oceans, some erupt with lava, and others hide mysterious subsurface seas that could potentially support life.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 1 Mar. 2026
In late 2025 a mysterious comet flew between the orbits of Earth and Mars and reached a speed of more than 150,000 miles per hour during its closest approach to the sun.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
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Strange rituals conducted by children unfold on the beach; dance parties at the big club devolve into fever dream bacchanals; cryptic, threatening symbols appear near the rental house.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Boil it down to just one musician and an acoustic guitar to reveal the durability of this cryptic, futuristic sound.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Times when a gay man from Texas needn’t rely on ambiguous pronouns and discreet interviews to court a broad audience.—
Brian Howe,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
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And as a result, the show — accompanied by some quite instructive poster art — stays true to the book’s lusty approach to ethically ambiguous relationships in academia.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At the center of it all in the Lone Star State were the always-enigmatic Latinx voters — whose voting patterns have long flummoxed pollsters.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
An architect by training, Censori, 31, has been an enigmatic and largely silent fixture in West’s orbit for years, making her statements mostly through provocative performance art that often incorporates public nudity.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Labrum presented a global outlook with block-print denim suits and dark wash denim coordinates embellished with oversized brooches and unconventional hardware.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Mar. 2026
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For best results, use a dark or espresso roast, use the smallest cup setting available and use the strongest brew setting.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At Barclays Center, Florence + the Machine gather participants to complete the spell-casting circle of their mystic and witchy art-pop (April 21-22, 24).—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The language has mystic overtones and rhythmic sections; it might be better felt than understood.—
Sarah Hepola,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Erie, Pennsylvania; Lincoln, Nebraska; and the obscure Tri-Cities airport in Eastern Tennessee, among others.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Others cite obscure legal theories.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The panoramic production from Richie Souf, the veteran architect behind some of the most uncanny tracks in Future’s catalog, provides the necessary curveballs for this synthesis of styles to truly land.—
Serge Selenou,
Pitchfork,
3 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, virtual modeling and, albeit to a lesser extent, humanoid robotics are slowly breaking through the uncanny valley — our instinctive distrust of things that look and act almost like human beings but not quite.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Working in batches, drop batter into hot oil using tablespoon or a cookie scoop, and fry, turning as needed until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per batch.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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