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as in nobody
a person of no importance or influence
it was either write the Great American Novel or be consigned to the status of a cipher in the annals of literature
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to figure
to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations
were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cipher
PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
She, the cinema; he, the audience — these ciphers would be compelling in short-form, but in carrying a feature they’re only buoyed by the natural chemistry of their performers.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025
An Enigma ciphering machine that was donated to the museum by telecommunications company SIRTI.Photo: Cantalupi, Pavia
One of the artifacts from SIRTI collection was a German ciphering machine used in World War II, an Enigma, Savini says.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2020
See All Example Sentences for cipher
Noun
Such ciphers are easy to crack using techniques such as checking letter frequency and identifying common patterns.
—PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
She, the cinema; he, the audience — these ciphers would be compelling in short-form, but in carrying a feature they’re only buoyed by the natural chemistry of their performers.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
The real challenge from AI will likely emerge in the weeks and months ahead as firms cipher through Judge Mehta’s enforcement of behavioral requirements.
—Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025
An Enigma ciphering machine that was donated to the museum by telecommunications company SIRTI.Photo: Cantalupi, Pavia
One of the artifacts from SIRTI collection was a German ciphering machine used in World War II, an Enigma, Savini says.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2020
See All Example Sentences for cipher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cipher
Noun
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When Dana, who, like Virginia, had been successful in writing pleasant but undistinguished nothings—in her case, songs for Billy Rose’s revues—decided to try taking on more serious music by studying with Boulanger, Virginia entered a deep downward spiral.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Why did her mom press so hard for the littlest of nothings?—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Seattle’s John Schneider and New England’s Eliot Wolf rose up from young nobodies to graduate from Green Bay Packers University, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Many of Newsom’s critics who breathlessly report on his evil plans (that the left-wing mainstream media supposedly cover up) are just nobodies who feign authority and are obviously fronting for right-wing organizations.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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All feature the game-changing Boa fit system, which makes adjusting the size (via an easy-to-reach dial) so simple that a four-year-old can figure it out.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Guojun and Li were in their late fifties, so the sisters figured the boy was a grandson.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In their defense, the horn sounded, and the clock showed zeroes, so legions of Tar Heel blue stormed the court.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Berkhout highlights how this binary language is translated into computer language through zeros and ones used for programming.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hardy in Zones 8a-10b, a dwarf olive grows no more than 15 feet tall.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Look for dwarf pea varieties that don’t necessarily seek extra support and may perform better in containers.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, the next key in understanding the problem was to calculate the effects of all the other planets on the orbit of Mercury.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
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These subtle changes allowed scientists to calculate the planet’s dimensions with unprecedented accuracy, refining measurements that had remained largely unchanged since the 1970s.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Keeliya Fleece Sweatshirt This half-zip sweatshirt is the perfect throw-on after a workout or during long travel days.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
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Stefon Diggs New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs arrived in a black zip-front jacket with a pale shearling-style collar, layered over a white ribbed tank.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But an effort to close that loop and manufacture the lightweight, power-enhancing metal that is a primary component in EV batteries at a coastal Georgia facility has stalled out like an EV that’s run out of juice.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Monte Vista boasts a pair of solid lightweights in Alexa Malinis (100) and Katara Ortiz (105).—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cipher. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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