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?
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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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Examples of elliptical in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
With its elliptical diamond profile, the ATN3600LE enables the stylus to sit lower in the groove, accessing information that a conical stylus would be unable to reach.
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Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
Images of the giant red storm, captured over 90 days from December 2023 to March 2024 by the Hubble Space Telescope, were compiled and aligned into a time-lapse that shows the storm's elliptical shape oscillating and jiggling.
—Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
In other words, this celestial event is a great time to explain that the moon's orbit around Earth is elliptical or oval-shaped.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 16 Oct. 2024
The celestial phenomenon happens a few times during every lunar cycle because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, meaning there are intervals when Earth’s only permanent natural satellite is closer or farther from the planet.
—Gina Park and Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elliptical 
Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
Images of the giant red storm, captured over 90 days from December 2023 to March 2024 by the Hubble Space Telescope, were compiled and aligned into a time-lapse that shows the storm's elliptical shape oscillating and jiggling.
—Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
In other words, this celestial event is a great time to explain that the moon's orbit around Earth is elliptical or oval-shaped.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 16 Oct. 2024
The celestial phenomenon happens a few times during every lunar cycle because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, meaning there are intervals when Earth’s only permanent natural satellite is closer or farther from the planet.
—Gina Park and Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
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Its notifications, which follow a format established in 1924, are written in ALL CAPS and filled with cryptic abbreviations.Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024
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Mysterious bottles hanging from trees filled with cryptic numbers.Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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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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Preferring fast-moving social media like TikTok, this generation is used to absorbing fast and concise information.Boris Abaev, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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And, indeed, the lyrics to the two-tone takedown are precise and concise.Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The stakes in the east are enormous; the stakes in Kursk Oblast are ambiguous at best.David Axe, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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The movie’s title is ambiguous about its titular character.Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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But just before the hearing’s start, Dickinson called both attorneys in for a brief sidebar, according to a motion filed by defense lawyer Annie Beles.Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Among the voters who stepped out despite the rain was reggaetón superstar Bad Bunny, who has derided the pro-statehood party and made a brief appearance at Dalmau’s campaign closer.Danica Coto, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In this enigmatic world, 39 women and one young girl are kept in an underground room guarded by armed men.Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
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While transiting this enigmatic area of your chart, opportunities for healing and spiritual growth in your relationships are near.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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But the crime scene is swiftly wiped clean, her body removed to avert suspicion and her phone sending curt messages about returning to Los Angeles for a job.Devon Ivie, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
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Synthesizers flash like emergency flares; the drums remain curt and clipped; vocalists trace breathy arcs in the space cleared by the bullish low-end.Elias Leight, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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After White’s body was found, an autopsy ruled the cause of her death as homicide with evidence of strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head, according to police.Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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Last month, five Republican U.S. senators returned from a trip to Hungary with a blunt declaration – that Orbán's government had displayed a noticeable shift toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.Flora Garamvolgyi, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near elliptical
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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