as in concisely
in a few words
the characters in Harold Pinter's plays speak elliptically leaving much of the meaning to be conveyed by the frequent, lengthy pauses
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Recent Examples of elliptically
Her outside-looking in remembrances (Romvari shoots scenes sometimes from the perspective of looking through a window) elliptically convey much – parental anguish about what would be the best call to action for the entire family, not the upheaval felt within the family.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptically
Adverb
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Knowing what to do if a power surge damages your appliances and electronics is essential for protecting your home, preventing future issues, and reporting damages clearly and concisely to your insurance company and the local electric company.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
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Keep it short and sweet Responding concisely and confidently will assuage any lingering concerns an employer might have about your work history, McGoff says.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The researchers demonstrated switching at an energy scale of roughly four quadrillionths of a joule, an extraordinarily tiny amount of energy that is far below what is needed to power even a small LED light briefly.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
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The House briefly recessed but returned one hour later to approve the map.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2026
Adverb
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That’s how Graeme McDowell tersely justified his reason for joining controversial LIV Golf in 2022.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
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On Friday, the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, tersely rejected the bill, calling it a joke.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elliptically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptically. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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