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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ambiguous
Some find the last scene ambiguous, multivalent; some dark; others comic.
—
Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
The moon in Aries brings urgency, instinct and the desire to move forward, especially after the slower, more ambiguous energy of Pisces.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Even at its most ambiguous, The Professional lets its sound sources speak for themselves, never fully breaking away from the material context of their creation.
—Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
The meaning of the A$AP acronym has always been somewhat ambiguous.
—Rob Kenner, VIBE.com, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambiguous
Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
The moon in Aries brings urgency, instinct and the desire to move forward, especially after the slower, more ambiguous energy of Pisces.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Even at its most ambiguous, The Professional lets its sound sources speak for themselves, never fully breaking away from the material context of their creation.
—Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
The meaning of the A$AP acronym has always been somewhat ambiguous.
—Rob Kenner, VIBE.com, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambiguous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambiguous
Adjective
-
After his split with longtime girlfriend Katy Perry, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor took to his social media to give a pretty cryptic update about his life.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
1 July 2025
-
Around 20 people received cryptic messages to attend appointments at a South Loop building housing an ICE program, where they were later detained by federal law enforcement officers.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
My family tree was obscure, its branches hidden.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
City authorities have cited the obscure commission’s denial as reason for not moving forward even though the City Council voted in favor of the project.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
This surreal, enigmatic British miniseries stars Patrick McGoohan as Number Six, a former secret agent sent to live out his days in a mysterious seaside community (which is something like Village of the Damned crossed with that weird spy prison from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy).—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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Martin Wallström takes on the role of corporate villain, Tyrell Wellick, an enigmatic and shadowy figure.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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On Monday, general manager Ross Atkins provided a vague update on where the team stands with Bichette.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
-
There is a before, and an after—and then there is the vast, vague, barely hinted at emptiness in between.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The novel is built around an encounter between the mysterious title character and a music hall aficionado in London in 1938, the year before World War II.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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In actuality, its premise falls closer to Apple’s Palm Royale or the 2010s ABC drama Revenge, following a mysterious outsider trying to gain a foothold among the elite.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Though Pepi’s exact net worth is unclear, his earnings have likely climbed into the seven figures in recent years through club contracts, performance bonuses, and endorsements, including with Fortune 500 brands like Home Depot, Allstate, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
The exact points of the deal remain unclear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The exact outcome of that mini-summit remains murky.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
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Some answers, though, fell on the edge of this somewhat murky threshold—thus the slight toss-up in final scores.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Rumi, whose poetry often explores mystic Sufi themes, compared the body to a garment that could be taken off or changed.—
Rizwan Virk,
The Conversation,
13 Nov. 2025
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Gavras presents this mystic mumbo jumbo in such a way that we are meant to question whether Joan could be right.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambiguous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambiguous. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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