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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elliptical
Here, the installation features multitudes of yicas hanging in an elliptical arrangement on the white surface of the wall, each produced by an individual member of the group.
—
María Carri, Artforum, 16 Apr. 2026
Olive green dials that shift depending on the light, paired with the familiar elliptical case.
—Stephen Watson, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026
Following the flyby, 2026 GD will continue along a 644-day elliptical path that takes it beyond the orbit of Mars before careening back towards the sun.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
One of its current projects is a high elliptical orbit satellite constellation for Earth observation of solar storms and space weather.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
María Carri, Artforum, 16 Apr. 2026
Olive green dials that shift depending on the light, paired with the familiar elliptical case.
—Stephen Watson, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026
Following the flyby, 2026 GD will continue along a 644-day elliptical path that takes it beyond the orbit of Mars before careening back towards the sun.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
One of its current projects is a high elliptical orbit satellite constellation for Earth observation of solar storms and space weather.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
But even in its most opposing moments, from its depths of disintegration to its peaks of pattern-building, Spirals/Viral has a cryptic unity.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
-
George traces mentalism back to the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece, who purported to deliver divine — and cryptic — messages from Apollo.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The ring features a 12-carat, oval Ceylon sapphire at its center surrounded by a halo of 14 diamonds set in 18k white gold—by anyone’s eye, a beautiful piece.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Oval Glass Doors That front door with an oval glass inset?—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The festival’s footprint is also laid out in a sunny and concise area of the university campus.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Drawing inspiration from the Cape’s waters, the menu is concise yet innovative.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The problem with the exhibition is not the works of art on view, but its ambiguous premise, its unwillingness to define its terms and approach the Lost Cause with historical clarity.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The services can analyze all sorts of things, from the specific — such as a hotel bill that exceeded a preset limit — to the more ambiguous, such as whether a lawyer’s description of a task was too vague to be worthy of payment.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Officials said the chaotic incident quickly triggered a multi-agency pursuit, prompting officers to deploy tire-deflation devices along a highway before the situation escalated into a brief foot chase outside of Denver.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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After a brief separation in 2007 owing to William's reluctance to commit, the two reconciled, became engaged in 2010 and got married in an awe-inspiring wedding spectacle held at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But what exactly happens to these baby stars next isn't always clear (literally) because they are buried deep within clouds of dark, dusty gas that obscure them.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
All the bedrooms can be found upstairs, including one that’s currently being used as an office and a primary suite flaunting dual dressing rooms and baths, plus a sauna clad in dark gray stone.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The judge considered hundreds of pages of evidence and testimony from San Diego officials, homeowners and their lawyers and determined that the city had not met the burden for what is called summary adjudication in any of the five causes of actions.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.—
Mary Ellen O'Connell,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The movie is available on YouTube, while the original documentary has been taken off HBO's streaming services until 2029 due to an obscure non-disparagement clause contained within a deal the premium cable service made with Jackson in 1992, as Reed told Variety.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Human ears couldn't possibly distinguish the names of obscure songs in one bar's music round.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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