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as in nobody
a person of no importance or influence
it was either write the Great American Novel or be consigned to the status of a cipher in the annals of literature
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to figure
to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations
were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cipher
Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024
In one instance, the shipping container was a puzzle box, which looked like a cipher, and held 10 switches, according to court records.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
Stephen Nash, New York Times, 25 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for cipher
Noun
Editor’s picks For decades, Patricia McGlone was a cipher, a ghost.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024
In one instance, the shipping container was a puzzle box, which looked like a cipher, and held 10 switches, according to court records.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
These remnants, signals from an earlier phase of our human condition, have been endlessly ciphered by generations of archaeologists in the Bears Ears region (which is named for twin buttes near its center).
—Stephen Nash, New York Times, 25 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for cipher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cipher
Noun
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My memoir was built of gaps, juxtaposition, weird little nothings.—
Cheri Lucas Rowlands,
Longreads,
16 Dec. 2024
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The one whose legs turned nothings into somethings, improvising the Lions’ entire defensive game plan into a pile of ash?—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2024
Noun
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While some men are jumping on board, the most popular of these creators—which range from nobodies doing voiceovers to far-right provocateurs like Candance Owens and Megyn Kelly—are women speaking to other women.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
14 Mar. 2025
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Those free passes were a frequent abuse of the law in the past, and low-profile corporate nobodies got away with them for years.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This indicator looks at the point and figure charts of all S & P 500 members, and determines how many of them have most recently posted a buy signal using the point and figure methodology.—
David Keller,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2025
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Athena instantly figures it out: Amber murdered those other girls and kidnapped Jayna, using Bullock as a patsy.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But if axions make up the dark matter, then there are about 1077 (that's 10 followed by 76 zeroes) axions in the Milky Way, so the very rare process still happens pretty often!—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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In fact, the superstructure is estimated to hold an almost inconceivable 200 quadrillion (that's 200 followed by 15 zeros) times the mass of the sun and is more than 1.3 billion light-years long, larger than the Milky Way.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.—
Robert Higgs,
cleveland,
1 Feb. 2023
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The dwarf variety grows to be about 5 to 7 feet, ideal for a small garden or accent in a room with limited space.—
Bryce Jones,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Jan. 2023
Verb
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Additionally, patients’ out-of-pocket costs are often calculated based on percentages of list prices that are often substantially higher than net prices.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Related Stories Still, the conversion rate—calculated based on the number of site visits that result in a user purchasing something—is still 9 percent lower among consumers using generative AI, as compared with other sources of traffic.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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On coverage and finish, this tint feels more like a serum—imparting a lightweight, dewy finish across its 26 shades.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2025
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Where Trudeau has always been seen as a charismatic lightweight, Carney is a nose-to-the-grindstone type.—
Stephen Maher,
TIME,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The arrival of quantum computing (i.e., computing that can efficiently solve complex problems using units of information called qubits) threatens to take this to a new level.—
Chaim Mazal,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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Quantum computing stocks such as D-Wave and Rigetti Computing are hot again.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cipher. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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