1
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
could just make out the nebulous outline of a fishing shack in the dense fog
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nebulous
The law also extends to activity between two people just talking about providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which is cause for concern with a nebulous term like antifa, said Brzozowski, the former counsel for domestic terrorism at the Justice Department.
—
Ryan Lucas, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
Given the first episode’s fatal climax, the story’s future is nebulous and opaque.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Sasha and Esther’s problems are both more nebulous and more painful.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Also in the 1920s, Edwin Hubble, along with his assistant Milton Humason, began observing individual stars in galaxies beyond the Milky Way, enabling us to measure the distances to these nebulous objects.
—Big Think, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nebulous
Ryan Lucas, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
Given the first episode’s fatal climax, the story’s future is nebulous and opaque.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Sasha and Esther’s problems are both more nebulous and more painful.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Also in the 1920s, Edwin Hubble, along with his assistant Milton Humason, began observing individual stars in galaxies beyond the Milky Way, enabling us to measure the distances to these nebulous objects.
—Big Think, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nebulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nebulous
Adjective
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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
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If things are left too loosey-goosey and vague, that can result in mixed expectations within your organization.—
Kathleen Walch,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
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That precise sensation—a vague disquietude, a vexation—is central to the band’s distinctiveness.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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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The program’s pulse felt faint, its identity slipping further with each loss.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The short uses stylized 3D and deadpan timing to explore routine, irritation and faint absurdity.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Add to that list Inhotim, a sprawling and relatively obscure contemporary art collection in the jungle of the state of Minas Gerais that surpasses any notion of what a museum can be.—
William O'Connor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The kit, which comes in four colors—matte white, desert rose, matte black, and hazy blue—comes with a chawan (bowl) with a pouring spout, a naoshi (whisk stand), a chasen (bamboo whisk), a tea tray, a stainless-steel spoon, and a sifter.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Nov. 2025
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Lee performed two new songs early on during the set, both of which carried the hazy radio-skipping nostalgia of Diamond Jubilee.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The sky was cloudless and dark with the moon’s light now below the horizon.—
Sheeka Sanahori,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
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Bordered by antique wood pillar columns, the custom wood and glass front doors lead into a rotunda foyer displaying dark polished hardwood floors that run throughout the interiors.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nebulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nebulous. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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