as in obscure
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the exact reason for the change in plans is ambiguous, but I suspect it has something to do with money
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Recent Examples of ambiguous
This has left it in a more ambiguous middle ground, while a wave of affordable brands like Reformation and Damson Madder are increasingly capturing the customer Ganni once owned.
—
Maliha Shoaib, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
The result is behavior that more closely mirrors that of an experienced human driver, particularly in ambiguous situations such as unstructured roads or complex traffic interactions where negotiation and anticipation are critical, CarNewsChina reports.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
The problem with the exhibition is not the works of art on view, but its ambiguous premise, its unwillingness to define its terms and approach the Lost Cause with historical clarity.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
The services can analyze all sorts of things, from the specific — such as a hotel bill that exceeded a preset limit — to the more ambiguous, such as whether a lawyer’s description of a task was too vague to be worthy of payment.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambiguous
Maliha Shoaib, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
The result is behavior that more closely mirrors that of an experienced human driver, particularly in ambiguous situations such as unstructured roads or complex traffic interactions where negotiation and anticipation are critical, CarNewsChina reports.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
The problem with the exhibition is not the works of art on view, but its ambiguous premise, its unwillingness to define its terms and approach the Lost Cause with historical clarity.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
The services can analyze all sorts of things, from the specific — such as a hotel bill that exceeded a preset limit — to the more ambiguous, such as whether a lawyer’s description of a task was too vague to be worthy of payment.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambiguous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambiguous
Adjective
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The movie is available on YouTube, while the original documentary has been taken off HBO's streaming services until 2029 due to an obscure non-disparagement clause contained within a deal the premium cable service made with Jackson in 1992, as Reed told Variety.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Human ears couldn't possibly distinguish the names of obscure songs in one bar's music round.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This elliptical, enigmatic sentence, with its palindromic form (not unlike that of the Heart Sutra), signals the main thrust of Pau’s work, which employs structures of looping, repetition, and recursion to explore the space of ambiguity and uncertainty.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The enigmatic artist took credit for the work in a humorous video, posted to his Instagram page Thursday, which showed workers erecting the statue under the cover of night.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps clever legal strategies might find ways to meet the justices’ new standards, or perhaps experts might come up with new metrics to mathematically prove discrimination, even when intent is vague.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
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There’s a false perception in pop music that the best way to connect with the masses is to keep things broad — that vague generalizations are easier for people to latch onto.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, Ally’s peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger and is thrust into a journey real-life marine creatures as the film explores themes of friendship and courage.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Last House is about a family of four who are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat keeping them trapped.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Whether that happened is unclear.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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The extent of Bryant’s actual role in Mizell’s murder has been unclear.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But beyond its account of a family in flight, from both the authorities and its own murkier truths, Dangerous, Dirty, Violent and Young interrogates the radicalism of the 1960s and 70s, its unlikely alliances, its political legacies, and its many, many casualties along the way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
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Most people have come to terms with that, but things get murkier in the realm of AI.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Eurich later posted a cryptic video to @dumbrblnd on April 21 that followers seemed to think was in reference to Murray.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the weeks before Andrew Lloyd Webber announced the New York staging of his The Phantom of the Opera reboot Masquerade last year, cryptic messages and clues began popping up, not least being the appearance of the masked singer outside the Tony Awards ceremony.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ambiguous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambiguous. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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