NONOBVIOUS Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

nonobvious

adjective

Definition of nonobvious

as in ambiguous

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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

High performers are the ones most often asked to manage difficult clients, resolve cross-functional conflict, make judgment calls and handle ambiguous challenges.

— Kim Meninger, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
This definition of midlife also has ambiguous boundaries, which Lachman readily admits.

— Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026

Definition of ambiguous

Adjective

Then there’s the new, mysterious character played by Sadie Sink, introducing a major element of MCU lore that has very little to do with Spider-Man.

— David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
And after a few days of searching, law enforcement received a mysterious eyewitness tip.

— Dateline NBC, NBC news, 30 July 2026

Definition of mysterious

Adjective

Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN over the weekend the uranium enrichment provision includes stipulations imposed by the US, but details of potential limitations are unclear.

— Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Whether Villa only wanted to loan Garnacho anyway is unclear, but there’s an obvious motive for not signing him permanently.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of unclear

Adjective

Some of the details are still obscure—no law requires OpenAI to explain itself—but the basic facts are well understood.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
This confusion is a big reason why the once-obscure argument over the best inflation speedometer is heating up.

— Brandy Hadley, Fortune, 31 July 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

But given the profundity of her subject matter and the near-universal awe her art inspires, perhaps this sense of futility gestures at the incomprehensible, even transcendent aura around Petviashvili’s works.

— The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 28 July 2026
Here are three stars that appear neatly connected overhead, but in reality, one is separated by an incomprehensible distance.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 24 July 2026

Definition of incomprehensible

Adjective

Corsini and Massimo Vavassori’s script is needlessly cryptic at times, leaving the central figure too much of an abstraction.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026
Ella Rubin stars as Annie Jacobson, a high schooler who stumbles into a mystery when her grandfather dies and leaves her an island in Canada—along with a cryptic letter.

— Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 27 July 2026

Definition of cryptic

Adjective

Homer, the enigmatic poet, still provokes and inspires us all.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Even with Peter lamenting the loss of his mentor Tony Stark, high-school high jinks keep the storytelling lighthearted, while Jake Gyllenhaal makes an over-the-top splash as enigmatic supervillain Mysterio.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Definition of enigmatic

Browse Nearby Words

nonobservances

nonobvious

nonofficial

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Nonobvious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonobvious. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of nonobvious

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

élan

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes