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
Most of the gems were eventually recovered, with some mysterious exceptions.
—
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 June 2025
Whether your vibe is a family-friendly walk or a wild caving crawl, these caves and caverns open the door to a mysterious world shaped over millions of years.
—Erin Gifford, USA Today, 18 June 2025
At first none of the murders seem to be related, yet these mysterious puzzle segments appear around the time of each crime.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Four thousand years ago, however, Crete was also a crossroads dominated by a mysterious and largely still poorly understood Bronze Age culture that predated classical Greece.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 June 2025
Whether your vibe is a family-friendly walk or a wild caving crawl, these caves and caverns open the door to a mysterious world shaped over millions of years.
—Erin Gifford, USA Today, 18 June 2025
At first none of the murders seem to be related, yet these mysterious puzzle segments appear around the time of each crime.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Four thousand years ago, however, Crete was also a crossroads dominated by a mysterious and largely still poorly understood Bronze Age culture that predated classical Greece.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
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The cryptic introduction is a subtle nod to the bartenders that the patron is about to order one of four drinks from the Burning Blade secret menu.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
25 June 2025
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Alongside firsthand accounts from cops, journalists, and survivors, the series unpacks how fear spread through the streets, fueled by cryptic letters, a frenzied press, and a killer who seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The inconsistency of the geographical settings goes hand in hand with the how their American protagonists are depicted as inept operators whose heroism is ambiguous Soon after his arrival in Saigon, Andrews mistakes an advertisement for a dubious massage parlor as a clue from a local contact.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2025
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That’s negativity bias in action—the cognitive reflex to prioritize potential threats over neutral or positive cues, especially when the situation is ambiguous.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Outside of the players, the series did leave several survivors, including the game’s enigmatic overseer, The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who ended his time on the series by tracking down Gi-hun’s estranged daughter, Ga-yeong (Jo Ah-in), in Los Angeles.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
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Or, is this high-profile loss, and others of recent vintage, for the middle lane of the Democratic Party due more to poor centrist standard-bearers (and enigmatic extremists) rather than the actual political positions themselves?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Executive Chef Graham House and Chef de Cuisine Graham House of Luminosa in Asheville, NC, recommend using a whole roast chicken, both dark and white meat, but placing half of it in the food processor before hand shredding the remaining bits for texture.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
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Prioritize sleep quality: Creating a consistent bedtime routine and keeping your bedroom cool and dark may help improve sleep.—
Stella Bard,
Health,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Something of a mystic, just like af Klint, Martin found meaning and structure in artistic practice and spiritual rigor.—
Melissa Febos,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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This book contains the first English translation of the writings of af Klint, a Swedish painter and mystic.—
Melissa Febos,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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Their final products include paintings, sketches, audio recordings, sculptures and videos of some of the Louvre’s most iconic artworks, as well as some of its more obscure.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
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Answers vary from obvious to obscure, some citing culture or clutch performances, while others cling to cliches that this club is turning into truths.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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That the vice president would be more amusing with less hair, a perfectly rounded face, and an uncanny, doll-like stare?—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2025
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In Girls with Long Shadows, the triplets are linked by that uncanny psychological and physical sibling familiarity; if one sister has a headache, the other two’s temples pulse with empathetic pain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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What people have not always had is either the awareness or deep enough pockets, which means FIFA should reduce prices and fill these stadiums.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Sometimes people forget that L.A. and Southern California is a place with real people and a super deep and rich history of Black art.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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