plural sphinxes or sphinges
ˈsfin-ˌjēz 
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
Examples of sphinx in a Sentence
a statue of the Sphinx
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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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
Articles Related to sphinx
Cite this Entry
“Sphinx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sphinx. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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sphinx
noun
plural sphinxes or sphinges
ˈsfin-ˌjēz
: an ancient Egyptian image having the body of a lion and the head of a man, ram, or hawk
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