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
Relevance
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
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 elliptical
Foliage is elliptical and blue-gray in color.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
Hawley’s take on the superhero genre, Legion, starring Dan Stevens as the titular B-tier X-Men character, was one of the strangest comic-book adaptations ever to air on a screen, visually stunning and narratively elliptical.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Researchers were not surprised, having modelled where the planet ought to be on its elliptical orbit.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
But the researchers found that by piecing together the four observations, a single, plausible world could emerge: a cool, Saturn-mass planet looping around the star every 1.5 to 2.5 Earth years on an elongated, elliptical orbit.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
Hawley’s take on the superhero genre, Legion, starring Dan Stevens as the titular B-tier X-Men character, was one of the strangest comic-book adaptations ever to air on a screen, visually stunning and narratively elliptical.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Researchers were not surprised, having modelled where the planet ought to be on its elliptical orbit.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
But the researchers found that by piecing together the four observations, a single, plausible world could emerge: a cool, Saturn-mass planet looping around the star every 1.5 to 2.5 Earth years on an elongated, elliptical orbit.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
These fish, known for their cryptic behavior, were identified as a neonative species, expanding their range naturally.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ars reached out to Google for an explanation, receiving a cryptic and somewhat unsatisfying reply.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Wait for the oval green fruits to drop on the ground.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Another shot showed a closeup of Wei’s new engagement ring, which featured an oval diamond on a golden band.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
McVey, 28, has reaped a personal bonus from the concise coaching: he’s been freed up to develop his game by not having to direct traffic as much.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Then draft a concise, personalized cover letter highlighting my strongest fit points.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Unlike Europe's clear regulatory framework under PSD2, American enterprises operate in a more ambiguous environment where implementation decisions must account for evolving compliance requirements and uncertain regulatory timelines.—
Dave Glaser,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Dani's on-again, off-again relationship with playboy photographer Andre — who's also her sister's ex's nephew — has become more ambiguous than ever in recent weeks.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Young looked sharp throughout the summer, but his brief preseason misgivings carried over to the regular-season opener.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The brief and unremarkable tenure of France’s prime minister has come crashing to an end.—
Cole Stangler,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Acclaimed country musician Orville Peck will make his film debut in Street Fighter as the enigmatic Vega, a masked fighter with a freaky set of Freddy Krueger claws.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Sep. 2025
-
One of Al Pacino’s finest performances of the 1970s — which, with the Godfather films and Serpico, is an absurd hot hand — is as the enigmatic, wild-eyed Sonny, a man who performs a desperate bank robbery with his partner (the late John Cazale, by turns heartbreakingly clueless and dopily funny).—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For example, In case of curt texts, instead of assuming hostility, default to curiosity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
-
The judge was curt but courteous; a Spanish-language interpreter was available on a large video screen to his right.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Leslie had been discovered deceased in her upstairs bathroom, with the autopsy listing her official cause of death as blunt force trauma.—
Claire Lempert,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
By reintroducing the War title, the Administration is sending a blunt message and in cyberspace, America is not only defending but also going on the offensive.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share