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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elliptical
As for the zooming in and out in the video, that's due to Solar Orbiter's elliptical orbit.
—
Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Comets follow highly elliptical orbits, taking them from the distant regions of the solar system to close encounters with the Sun.
—Jess Thomson, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Not depicted were two matching elliptical machines that faced the television.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024
Halley, who used Sir Isaac Newton’s theory on elliptical orbits to help predict the next sighting of the comet, died nearly 17 years before the sighting.
—The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elliptical 
Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Comets follow highly elliptical orbits, taking them from the distant regions of the solar system to close encounters with the Sun.
—Jess Thomson, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Not depicted were two matching elliptical machines that faced the television.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024
Halley, who used Sir Isaac Newton’s theory on elliptical orbits to help predict the next sighting of the comet, died nearly 17 years before the sighting.
—The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
Adjective
-
But the child’s uncle departed with a cryptic comment when he was told how happy his brother’s family had appeared to their neighbors.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2025
-
In a statement posted to X, Ravenel hinted at his intentions and shared a cryptic message for his opponents.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The Kohler Sunstruck oval tub is standard in the primary bathroom if this layout is chosen.—
Benjamin C Tankersley,
Washington Post,
1 Feb. 2023
-
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
-
Another area of potential improvement is customization to align with a provider's writing style — concise versus verbose — or way of thinking.—
Erin Brodwin,
Axios,
3 Feb. 2025
-
Grab an Excel spreadsheet and create a concise budget that includes savings.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Their reasoning is ambiguous and the move is likely to put moderate Republicans facing reelection in swing districts in an uncomfortable position.—
Lee Hamilton,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Executive orders have nearly always been legally ambiguous.—
Meredith Conroy,
ABC News,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The first Elam ending finish was great, giving us a dramatic (and brief) fix to the All-Star Game’s erosion.—
Zach Harper,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
-
The scripted description of the library was very brief, with just one interesting detail — during installation, the new shelves opened up, like a flower.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But Hujar is an enigmatic figure and a biographical portrayal wasn’t exactly on the cards.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Hot Milk is spare, rigorously structured but enigmatic, with a shocking ending that could fuel weeks of argument.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Maybe you’re often stressed about your heavy workload, leading you to be curt and too hyper-focused at work.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2025
-
Despite, or maybe because of his curt demeanor, Dylan stands as the most honest of the group.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
In another blunt riff on contemporary politics, Marshall hosts his own Tonight Show, by this point in full fascistic uniform.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Florida’s blunt impact Instead of $182 million to support research, public universities would have received $103 million for indirect costs, a $79 million shortfall, and Florida Atlantic University could have lost roughly $800,000.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near elliptical
Cite this Entry
“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share