NONOBVIOUS Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

nonobvious

adjective

Definition of nonobvious

as in ambiguous

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of nonobvious On the flip side, if your financial situation is complicated and nonobvious, be sure to take the time to explain it to your mortgage loan originator. — Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 This comes to resemble a branding exercise—perhaps a necessary one to sell a book these days—but the advice is good, and some of it nonobvious. — Matthew Hutson, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2021 The rise of cloud computing, open-source platforms and the API economy has contributed in both obvious and nonobvious ways to this transformation. — Romi Stein, Forbes, 1 June 2021 And to also keep nonobvious stuff on hand — like teddy bears for the kids, a rubber bone for the dog and $50 in cash, all in $1 bills. — Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, 11 June 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonobvious

Adjective

But that was ambiguous enough for some overeager follow-up reports to mistake the book for the kill-and-tell that many had always assumed Finke would eventually write.

— Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Worse than that, real-world sensor data is often so ambiguous, incomplete, and riddled with noise that the only way to describe it is borderline chaotic.

— David Szondy August 11, New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of ambiguous

Adjective

But when they’re interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious beige van — the same one viewers may have spotted in the preceding episodes — Bret uses the opportunity to ask Terry to take him home.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Final Invasion begins when a mysterious UAP satellite crashes in the New Mexico desert.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of mysterious

Adjective

In this series, Christopher Goffard revisits old crimes in Los Angeles and beyond, from the famous to the forgotten, the consequential to the obscure, diving into archives and the memories of those who were there.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Sure, there are way too many people asking for drawings of obscure anime characters that are nearly impossible to pull off with the bare-bones MS-Paint-like tool in two-and-a-half minutes.

— Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of obscure

Adjective

Yet cycling’s code of ethics is both large and indistinct; the scale of Pogačar’s dominance threatens its traditions.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2026
There, a holiday somewhere hot and indistinct, the only clear memory compressed into the feeling of rough grains of sand studding her feet.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of indistinct

Adjective

In response to a cryptic message, Hal rockets to Rushville—literally, because his ring gives him the power of flight—arriving to a murder scene and leaving a confused John to follow by plane.

— Judy Berman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
The messaging was somewhat cryptic, but that was his way of saying goodbye.

— Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of cryptic

Browse Nearby Words

nonobservances

nonobvious

nonofficial

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Style

“Nonobvious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonobvious. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonobvious

adjective

Example Sentences

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