1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
puzzled by the cryptic e-mail message left on his computer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the oracle offered only cryptic predictions that could be interpreted any number of different ways
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cryptic
This show should finally set the record straight: here is an American visionary whose obsessive paintings are at once stylized and crudely instinctive, achieving a kind of cryptic simplicity that might be called folk surrealism.
—
Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
His brother has also mysteriously vanished, leaving a cryptic note for his wife, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin).
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
His identical twin brother, James, got married, had a son and is working as a police detective — but then James disappears, leaving his wife Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) a cryptic note.
—Eleanor Stanford, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025
And this looks to have that signature Souls flavor both in terms of combat and cryptic storytelling.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cryptic
Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
His brother has also mysteriously vanished, leaving a cryptic note for his wife, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin).
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
His identical twin brother, James, got married, had a son and is working as a police detective — but then James disappears, leaving his wife Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) a cryptic note.
—Eleanor Stanford, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025
And this looks to have that signature Souls flavor both in terms of combat and cryptic storytelling.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cryptic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cryptic
Adjective
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Some people are already well aware of Norse Atlantic, despite the company’s somewhat mysterious profile.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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She's just been visited by a mysterious mate named Donnie, who claims to be a friend of Harry's.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the scene itself could be read as a little ambiguous, too: is Sammie trying to pierce the veil again, playing a song that could both foster community but also bring back the vampires?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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As the days turned into weeks, the reality of her situation remained ambiguous.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Other notable roles for Chastain include playing astronaut Melissa Lewis in The Martian, the enigmatic Murph in Interstellar and real-life figure Molly Bloom in Molly’s Game.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2025
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These enigmatic paintings are inspired by Edvard Munch and William Blake: After Munch: Less is Known than People Think, 2023, and After Blake: Less is Known than People Think, 2024, in which astronomy, history and geography cross paths with spirituality, according to the artist.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But his recitation of Black Americans’ names also revealed that they were heavily weighted toward athletes and performers like Jackie Robinson and Aretha Franklin (on a list that includes relatively obscure conservative white thinkers such as Whittaker Chambers and Clare Boothe Luce).—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
15 Apr. 2025
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That included obscure cold opens and immersive world-building.—
Adelle Platon,
VIBE.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For example, Cindy Bi, has developed a reputation for her uncanny ability to spot unicorns early, backing 14 billion dollar companies, 12 of them from seed stage.—
Dasha Shunina,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Green Day has the uncanny ability to make every song sound like a hit, regardless of its initial impact.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And so by some sociologists, camp is thought to be this form of dark humor serving as a coping mechanism to historical marginalization.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
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Editor’s tip: Niacinamide is a multitasker that blurs the look of dark spots, evens your skin tone, and balances your complexion.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Those attributed to Jesus—described in language nearly identical to accounts of the Greek mystic and holy man Apollonius of Tyana, say—are neither more nor less convincing than others.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
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Founded on the ethos of art as a form of mystic healing, the label reimagines the family heirloom—and invites its patrons to examine their relationship with objects.—
Nia Shumake,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cryptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cryptic. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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