How to Use arcane in a Sentence

arcane

adjective
Definition of arcanenext
Synonyms for arcanenext
  • The reasons for denying a passport can be arcane, to say the least.
    — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 July 2018
  • There are certain arcane rules about what kinds of bills can and can’t be passed through this process.
    — Alex Pareene, The New Republic, 13 Feb. 2021
  • Humans do these weird arcane things and never do the same path twice.
    — Quartz Staff, Quartz, 18 Oct. 2021
  • The painting, rechristened ‘Love is in the Bin’, could now be worth double in the arcane ways of working of the art world.
    — Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2021
  • The Senate did not fail because of its arcane rules or because of the abuse of the filibuster.
    — Ira Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 May 2022
  • There’s a galaxy of arcane details in this case — the murder tree in Lake Tahoe!
    — Kevin Fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 July 2021
  • Even the ins and outs of applying to graduate school are a bit arcane.
    — Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2022
  • But what about the odder, more arcane landmarks that once dotted the city?
    — Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2024
  • Win, lose or spin The caucus process has always been arcane.
    — Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 4 Feb. 2020
  • Yesterday, a group of men hit the streets of Tokyo in high heels to protest the arcane laws and support the #KuToo movement.
    — Tatum Dooley, Teen Vogue, 11 June 2019
  • Other links have more arcane monikers—consider the Cuban, the Figaro, or the Wheat.
    — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2021
  • The start of this football season has brought to life an arcane clause from the league’s new labor deal with its players.
    — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2021
  • Many of these, like being able to swing a sword on either side of your horse, would have been explained in a less arcane game.
    — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 9 Mar. 2022
  • These ancient grudges may appear arcane, but as the wise man knows, after money in the bank, a grudge is the next best thing.
    — Kevin Baker, New Republic, 15 Feb. 2018
  • Consider that a deadline for a deal, thanks to some arcane NBA trade rules.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 23 July 2024
  • In the arcane world of securities filings, a few small words can turn heads.
    — Charley Grant, WSJ, 24 Feb. 2023
  • Senate Democrats on Monday asked that the arcane rule be waived for the entire session.
    — Gordon R. Friedman, OregonLive.com, 5 Feb. 2018
  • But Josiah was never one to be daunted by the task of learning the arcane details of a new machine.
    — Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023
  • If this strikes you as an arcane legal debate of no great moment, think again.
    — Clive Crook, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024
  • The machine gave you powers but required you to study its arcane secrets—to learn a spell language.
    — James Somers, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
  • The deadline to pass the bill with 51 votes is Sept. 30 thanks to arcane Senate budget procedures.
    — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2017
  • The third question is more arcane, and the answer is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Charles’s current wife.
    — Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 17 May 2018
  • Walsh asked me arcane questions about the White Sox’s middle relief.
    — Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2021
  • These were pre-internet times, but now any newbie kid could learn all the arcane corners of the Fabs’ career.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2023
  • Much of their focus will turn to the arcane world of managing interest-rate risk.
    — Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2023
  • The shop offers arcane goods, such as board games, hobby supplies, toys, Wizkids and more.
    — Charles Infosino, The Enquirer, 10 May 2023
  • But the Nobels are burdened by arcane rules and biases that, for me, have removed some of the luster.
    — National Geographic, 16 Oct. 2019
  • The report offers many curatives, the details of which are too arcane and lengthy to get into here.
    — Wesley J. Smith, National Review, 27 Sep. 2019
  • The obfuscation feels like the point, an attempt to make the Count seem truly arcane and unsettling again after a century of filmic depictions.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The mind-teasers here require real out-of-the-box thinking, careful observation of the smallest environmental details, and multi-step deciphering of arcane codes.
    — Ars Technica, 22 Dec. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arcane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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