variants
or elliptic
1
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the poet's elliptical style is such that the reader often senses that an allusion is being made—but to what exactly?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
his elliptical replies can seem rude to some people, but that's just his way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of elliptical
Within about an hour, Blue Ghost separated from the Falcon 9 rocket on an elliptical Earth orbit before establishing communications with Firefly’s mission operations center in Cedar Park, Texas.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025
Take the elliptical staircase—capped by dual skylights—to reach each floor where the rooms mirror something out of a storybook with touches of whimsy and elegance.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2024
Its elliptical orbit is also why, technically, Mars was slightly closer to Earth on Sunday, Jan. 12, than tonight, at 59.7 million miles (96.1 million kilometers).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
As for the zooming in and out in the video, that's due to Solar Orbiter's elliptical orbit.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025
Take the elliptical staircase—capped by dual skylights—to reach each floor where the rooms mirror something out of a storybook with touches of whimsy and elegance.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2024
Its elliptical orbit is also why, technically, Mars was slightly closer to Earth on Sunday, Jan. 12, than tonight, at 59.7 million miles (96.1 million kilometers).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
As for the zooming in and out in the video, that's due to Solar Orbiter's elliptical orbit.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
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Tell me more about the album’s title—is it supposed to be a little cryptic?—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Prologue was first announced in 2019 with a cryptic trailer that showed a first-person view of a storm crashing through a dark forest.—
Issy van der Velde,
Rolling Stone,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The Kohler Sunstruck oval tub is standard in the primary bathroom if this layout is chosen.—
Benjamin C Tankersley,
Washington Post,
1 Feb. 2023
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This simple opener works well on circular cans but may not be effective on dented, square, or oval cans.—
Maya Polton,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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During the hearing, Lutnick gave short and concise answers.—
Zach Halaschak,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
18 Feb. 2025
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Huo’s project is to portray these social relations and material disparities with crispness, therefore the image is sharp, and though expansive, also concise.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Issues like ambiguous requirements cause misalignment and rework, while inadequate testing environments delay validation and debugging.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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So this is in a very ambiguous state in an ambiguous country, and her mother’s illness is ambiguous.—
Georg Szalai,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The scripted description of the library was very brief, with just one interesting detail — during installation, the new shelves opened up, like a flower.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
-
The first Elam ending finish was great, giving us a dramatic (and brief) fix to the All-Star Game’s erosion.—
Zach Harper,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite its enigmatic nature, Rafflesia species have long been used for medicinal purposes by Indigenous Peoples and, more recently, as a source of revenue generated by ecotourism.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Presiding over this enigmatic establishment is La Flaca, the city’s Grim Reaper, who challenges patrons to gamble years of their lives in hopes of altering their destinies.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Before Rocky could reply, Rihanna interjected with a curt reaction.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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The men are usually portrayed as very curt and not very affectionate, and the women are very ‘ingenue-y’ and sweet and innocent.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Alsup, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, has presided over many high-profile cases and is known for his blunt talk.—
JANIE HAR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Justin Bieber let fans in on his smoke break Thursday (Feb. 27), with the star sharing a carefree video of himself enjoying what appears to be a blunt or cigar while jamming out to Don Toliver on Instagram Stories.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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