How to Use elusive in a Sentence

elusive

adjective
Definition of elusivenext
Synonyms for elusivenext
  • The truth may prove elusive.
  • This is the most elusive, and also the smallest, of the five.
    — Liz Langley, National Geographic, 26 July 2019
  • The stakes are so high, and the best talent is so elusive right now.
    — Andrea Davey, Forbes, 21 June 2022
  • The state is a predator and the rule of law remains elusive.
    — Mary Anastasia O’Grady, WSJ, 7 July 2021
  • Runs hard and is elusive but isn’t gonna run over guys.
    — Terez A. Paylor, kansascity.com, 17 Apr. 2017
  • In sum, Donovan has proven to be as elusive off the field as on it.
    — Brian Straus, SI.com, 13 Jan. 2018
  • Cook is one of the most elusive backs in the league, but Woods made his job too easy on this play.
    — John Owning, Dallas News, 13 May 2020
  • Even at the low end of that range, that target has been elusive.
    — Karen Kaplan Science and Medicine Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
  • Yet, one prize — the grandest of them all — has been elusive.
    — Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 22 Nov. 2022
  • Since then, a mass of visitors has dropped by to catch a glimpse of the elusive dog.
    — Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 14 Mar. 2023
  • The why — why a brand even exists — proves more elusive.
    — Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2021
  • Long days end late and leave cooks so wired that sleep is elusive.
    — Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, 23 Mar. 2020
  • At the same time, Haley proved to be a more elusive leader.
    — chicagotribune.com, 9 Mar. 2018
  • Well, kind of since being elusive is kind of Tenet's thing.
    — Shannon Carlin, refinery29.com, 15 Dec. 2020
  • Many did, but some were elusive or didn't want to re-open that wound on a journey through the past.
    — Chris O'Connell, Chron, 15 May 2022
  • But dreams can be elusive, and sometimes, a bit too pricey.
    — Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Oct. 2024
  • That’s the elusive wellness wish of, well, most people, right?
    — Caitlin Carlson, Women's Health, 24 Mar. 2023
  • But even in the best of times, making ends meet was often elusive.
    — Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al, 4 May 2020
  • The clues kept coming in, yet a smoking gun was elusive.
    — Paul Schrodt, Men's Health, 30 Nov. 2022
  • In other words, the answer is as elusive as the virus itself.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2021
  • The goal was clear for Smith, but a financial game plan was elusive.
    — James Vlahos, GQ, 18 Apr. 2018
  • The hunt for one of the nation's most elusive serial killers may now be over.
    — Doug Criss, CNN, 26 Apr. 2018
  • From moment to moment, though, the movie is more elusive.
    — Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023
  • But Higgs the man emerges in your book as an elusive person as well.
    — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 24 June 2022
  • The director’s whole career has been built on the elusive search for now.
    — Vulture, 26 May 2023
  • That’s proving to be just as elusive as the search for a quarterback.
    — Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2018
  • The hope is that the registry will produce answers that have been elusive.
    — Larry Lage, Star Tribune, 16 Sep. 2020
  • Yet so much depends on the perfect baguette and the perfect baguette is elusive.
    — Roger Cohen, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023
  • The promise of rental has been in the air for some time, but profits and real scale have been elusive.
    — Evan Clark, WWD, 23 Oct. 2024
  • But axions are thought to be even lighter than WIMPs, and thus are just as elusive and difficult to detect.
    — Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elusive.' 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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