1
as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the rebate form uses arcane language, the only purpose of which seems to be to disqualify buyers from actually getting a rebate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
my predecessor in this job obviously had his own arcane system for filing things, and so I haven't a clue as to where anything is
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arcane
Most projects only calculate technical metrics—precision, recall, AUC, F-score and other arcane measures—that reveal little to nothing about the potential business value.
—
Eric Siegel, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
The obfuscation feels like the point, an attempt to make the Count seem truly arcane and unsettling again after a century of filmic depictions.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
The mind-teasers here require real out-of-the-box thinking, careful observation of the smallest environmental details, and multi-step deciphering of arcane codes.
—Ars Technica, 22 Dec. 2024
Related Articles Mercy is a good thing, sometimes The decline in fentanyl ODs nationally
Lessons from the ugly Korematsu decision
Trump backs port union’s arcane goals
It’s been immersed in scandal as state and county oversight reports have shown.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arcane 
Eric Siegel, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
The obfuscation feels like the point, an attempt to make the Count seem truly arcane and unsettling again after a century of filmic depictions.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
The mind-teasers here require real out-of-the-box thinking, careful observation of the smallest environmental details, and multi-step deciphering of arcane codes.
—Ars Technica, 22 Dec. 2024
Related Articles Mercy is a good thing, sometimes The decline in fentanyl ODs nationally
Lessons from the ugly Korematsu decision
Trump backs port union’s arcane goals
It’s been immersed in scandal as state and county oversight reports have shown.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
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Its crowd-pleaser potential flies in the face of the IFFR’s reputation in some parts of the industry that the event is focused purely on hardcore arthouse films and more esoteric and niche fare.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
31 Jan. 2025
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With athletic directors increasingly consumed by revenue generation, schools are relying more and more on outside firms to help fill holes up and down their staff directories, from Olympic sports coaches to even more esoteric positions.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Last night, scientists began to hear cryptic and foreboding warnings from colleagues: Go to the CDC website, and download your data now.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2025
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Despite a cryptic teaser earlier this week, Jake Paul and Logan Paul will not face off against each other in the ring.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The groundbreaking find, the researchers claim, could reshape our understanding of the universe and its most powerful and mysterious signals.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
27 Jan. 2025
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Several years later, Hoffa disappeared under mysterious circumstances and was never seen again.—
David Wharton,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued an important update to its rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and the implications are profound.—
David Gasparyan,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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James Kariuki, the United Kingdom’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., said Haiti’s violence and political instability are having a profound effect on Haitians.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The forensic evidence might have been ambiguous, but Barnhorst said one thing seemed clear.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacramento Bee,
26 Jan. 2025
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Over time, these experiences cause the brain to become hyper-aware of any signs of disapproval, interpreting neutral or ambiguous situations as personal rejection.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Healy Lake members have long considered their dogs to be mystic companions, according to Combs.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2024
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But there is also the slow minimalism of Morton Feldman and the manic yet patient seeking of Italy’s mystic count Giacinto Scelsi, in the twentieth century.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Both parties have spent much of the 21st century using what had been obscure procedural tactics to delay or slowly derail presidential nominees for Cabinet posts, regulatory agency boards and federal judgeships.—
Ed O'Keefe,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2025
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The recent wildfires shine a spotlight on an obscure firefighting charity.—
Hunter Clauss,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The work proved to have uncanny resonances with the catastrophe that overtook Pacific Palisades and Altadena on January 7th.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
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Yet another gut-wrenching scenario for a team that now has won an uncanny 17 straight one-possession games.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near arcane
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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