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

As for the ambiguous finale, Hall and Bravo have similar, but slightly different views on it.

— Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
Much of what couples experience as conflict is, on closer inspection, a disagreement about which interpretation of an ambiguous event is the correct one, and that disagreement is rarely settled by appeals to trust.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of ambiguous

Adjective

Intentionally vague and obscure, the Daodejing would go on to inspire various interpretations ranging from philosophical reflections to how to realize the Dao in everyday practice.

— Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
The end of legal slavery in New York should not be an obscure historical fact.

— Tunisia Morrison, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026

Definition of obscure

Adjective

There have been times when acts of atrocity have been going on — and gosh, some of those things are incomprehensible — yet humanity has found a way.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2026
Being joyful there — in the Dominican Republic, where small shacks and houses pieced together by junkyard scraps sometimes hold families with over a dozen members — seems incomprehensible.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 June 2026

Definition of incomprehensible

Adjective

It was filled with brackets and parentheticals, written in different fonts and colors, much of it in capital letters, at once detailed and cryptic.

— Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
His doctors speculated his infection might have been a rare case of cryptic transmission from sharing meals and bathrooms with his coworkers, one of whom apparently had a tapeworm infection.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026

Definition of cryptic

Adjective

The admittedly shy Belgian-Italian fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello entered the house of Saint Laurent as an enigmatic underdog.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
Many aspects of the physics underlying GRBs remain enigmatic—but Rubin’s potential for discovering entirely new types of transients could soon offer astronomers a wealth of additional cosmic mysteries to solve.

— Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 July 2026

Definition of enigmatic

Browse Nearby Words

nonobservances

nonobvious

nonofficial

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“Nonobvious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonobvious. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonobvious

adjective

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