1
as in cryptic
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the huge stone statues on Easter Island are ancient, mysterious, and haunting
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2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the stranger's mysterious prediction
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Recent Examples of mysterious
With the slow return of his memories comes the realization of his mission, which is to identify the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
The videos sate a curiosity, held in amber from childhood, about what those figures of great and mysterious authority get up to when students aren’t around.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
From a distance, the ritual might seem mysterious—an impressionistic scene of fleshy, wading creatures at a watering hole.
—Rick Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Now, timed to the biggest television event of the year, Universal is giving audiences their most in-depth look yet at the mysterious movie in a new trailer that aired during Super Bowl LX.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
The videos sate a curiosity, held in amber from childhood, about what those figures of great and mysterious authority get up to when students aren’t around.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
From a distance, the ritual might seem mysterious—an impressionistic scene of fleshy, wading creatures at a watering hole.
—Rick Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Now, timed to the biggest television event of the year, Universal is giving audiences their most in-depth look yet at the mysterious movie in a new trailer that aired during Super Bowl LX.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
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Then over the past weekend, the family posted another video — one that was more cryptic and generated even more speculation about Nancy Guthrie’s fate.—
Hallie Golden,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Then over the past weekend, the family posted another video — one that was more cryptic and generated even more speculation about Nancy Guthrie’s fate.—
TY ONEIL,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Çatak’s anti-state message acquires an ambiguous power as the movie wends onward, with an enigmatic final shot that finds Aziz tasting clear-skies freedom but still from behind confines of a sort.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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Wuthering Heights simultaneously puts too much malevolence on Nelly’s shoulders while also making her final decisions sort of nonsensical, even ambiguous.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There’s a fair share of dancefloor warriors—techno devotees, avante-garde fashionistas, curious international travelers, and the enigmatic regulars.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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And then, as happens so often with this most enigmatic of bands, the pendulum swung back.—
Ben Cardew,
Pitchfork,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The activist also went full glam on her flight, looking radiant in bronzy makeup, complete with dark eyeliner, fluttery eyelashes, fluffy eyebrows, luminous skin, and glossy lips.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
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More dark, romantic beauty inspiration.—
Jesa Marie Calaor,
Allure,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Dera was founded in 1948 by the mystic Mastana Balochistani in the Haryana city of Sirsa, near the northern state’s borders with Punjab, India’s breadbasket, and the desert state of Rajasthan.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Although Nuccio is as down to earth as anyone could be, and definitely not a mystic, there can be no disputing his stature as a remarkable man.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And third, the center of the nebula is obscure, with what looks like a wispy cloud in the foreground blocking us from seeing the central star itself.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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The group that organized the convoy was connected to a broader network of nurses, doctors, and volunteers, which had been coördinating dozens of surgeries for protesters marooned in their homes, in obscure corners of the country.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And with several shots of the sneaker throughout the park, the resemblance between the two is uncanny.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Recently, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s uncanny ground-recovery move, revealing why the humanoid rises with contortions rather than standing upright.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, turning once, until the daikon is tender and both sides are deep golden brown, 8–10 minutes.—
Chihiro Tomioka,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2026
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Journaling is also a great way to explore your deeper thoughts.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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