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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mysterious
Maurizio Cattelan, who also wielded a banana with profound memetic effectiveness, is one of the few other artists whose work has this kind of stickiness, but his recent sculptures have leaned more on the public’s appetite for stunts, whereas Rødland plumbs more mysterious depths.
—
Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
People used the app to generate fake videos of women being strangled or splattered with mysterious white goo, people committing crimes, and public figures wearing Nazi-like uniforms.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Harpman’s 1995 novel, made famous in the 2020s by TikTok, also follows a group of women held captive by mysterious forces.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
And then, this horrific, mysterious smog shows up.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
People used the app to generate fake videos of women being strangled or splattered with mysterious white goo, people committing crimes, and public figures wearing Nazi-like uniforms.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Harpman’s 1995 novel, made famous in the 2020s by TikTok, also follows a group of women held captive by mysterious forces.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
And then, this horrific, mysterious smog shows up.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mysterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mysterious
Adjective
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Investigators later linked the device to materials recovered from Zheng’s home and a burner phone used to place a cryptic 911 call warning about the bomb.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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The news arrives after months of Rodrigo teasing new music, most recently a cryptic hotline message that alluded to this year’s pink moon, which occurred on April 2.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Event-betting markets flourish in ambiguous or unevenly-enforced legal environments.—
Kelli María Korducki,
thehustle.co,
3 Apr. 2026
-
War is about politics—and therefore, objectives, which are particularly political, are often ambiguous and subject to change.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The 1999 film, shot primarily in Seattle, starred Julia Stiles as the fiercely independent Kat Stratford, Larisa Oleynik as her sister, Bianca, and Heath Ledger as the enigmatic Patrick Verona.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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Salahuddin plays the enigmatic leader of the titular cult, with Strassner as lovable cult member Toddrick.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 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
Adjective
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More elderly people could find themselves at the mercy of an obscure government program meant to save them from harm and preserve their dignity when their ability to take care of themselves is diminished.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Lyrics in the song include clear references to Taylor’s life and style, and also some more obscure Easter-egg-type reference.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Yet, Tory Burch has always had the uncanny ability to peer into the future and unlock our unconscious desires.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Nuggets’ forwards have an uncanny habit of getting hurt all at once.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For others, the moment carries a deeper meaning.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Return to Earth and splashdown After the lunar flyby, the crew will spend several days heading back to Earth while continuing to conduct deep-space tests, including evaluations of power systems, thermal controls, and crew operations far beyond low Earth orbit.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mysterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mysterious. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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