plural sphinxes or sphinges ˈsfin-ˌjēz How to pronounce sphinx (audio)
1
a
capitalized : a winged female monster in Greek mythology having a woman's head and a lion's body and noted for killing anyone unable to answer its riddle
b
: an enigmatic or mysterious person
she is a sphinx whose features hold a blank fascination
2
: an ancient Egyptian image in the form of a recumbent lion having a man's head, a ram's head, or a hawk's head
sphinxlike adjective

Examples of sphinx in a Sentence

a statue of the Sphinx
Recent Examples on the Web
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And in Fassbender and Blanchett, director Soderbergh benefits from a choice pair of sphinxes. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025 Fini shaped the cultural scene with her paintings of powerful women, sphinxes, cat women, and obscure men, creating an oniric, surreal world. Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025 Some of the most common positions cats assume when sitting down include the loaf position, the frog pose, the half loaf, the sphinx position, and the shoulder sit, among others. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024 The animal and human meets meanwhile in the 4th century BCE work Allée des sphinx (Sphinx Alley). Sarah Belmont, ARTnews.com, 5 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sphinx

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Sphinx, Sphix

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sphinx was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Sphinx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sphinx. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

sphinx

noun
plural sphinxes or sphinges ˈsfin-ˌjēz How to pronounce sphinx (audio)
: an ancient Egyptian image having the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk

More from Merriam-Webster on sphinx

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