1
2
as in numbers
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 figures
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ciphers
Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The movie, which posits an impending nuclear strike on a major American city, is a flimsy yet high-minded piece of doomsday schlock, largely populated by ciphers in suits and drained of the pulp pleasures that schlock, at its best, can afford.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
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
Most organizations have little to no understanding of what cryptographic ciphers, keys and protocols are in use across their networks, applications and devices.
—Anand Oswal, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
During this time, three judges are going to watch the ciphers and pick the top four breakers for the adult category and the top four breakers for the youth category.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
Two streetlamps engaged in a mute but luminous dialogue, an indecipherable Morse code, alluding to the silent exchanges and secret ciphers of strangers who meet there for their trysts.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for ciphers
Noun
-
And even that isn’t conceded until the game clock strikes triple zeroes.—
-
Players with lots of recruiting stars next to their names and coaches with lots of zeroes on their paychecks.—
Verb
-
Saleh figures to be choosy about which jobs to pursue.—
-
In the aftermath of Mamdani’s election success, progressive candidates are starting to emerge as primary challengers to more moderate Democrats in this year’s midterm elections, and the topic of Israel figures to play a role in those congressional races.—
Noun
-
Where else could award winning writers pop off about nothing at all, and nobodies could rattle the ivory towers?—
-
Professional athletes, however, aren’t nobodies.—
Verb
-
The analysis calculates retirement expenses based on the Department of Labor’s Consumer Expenditure Surveys, among other sources.—
-
The Department of Finance, which calculates its projections differently, is expected to estimate a smaller deficit than the LAO.—
Noun
-
Hughes is one of the world's top lightweights in MMA, the sport where McGregor built his following and name.—
Noun
-
That’s why the team turned to look into how these insects transition between jumping, flapping, and gliding.—
-
With so many insects packed together in moist and dark places — and all closely related, sharing the same genetic vulnerabilities — infections and diseases can quickly pose an enormous threat to the well-being of an ant colony.—
Noun
-
By 1938, the troupe of dwarves had begun to spend its winters in South Florida.—
-
As kobolds go, Heinzelmann was more harmless than most, going about his business protecting the castle from giants and dwarves and keeping the staff updated on faerie gossip, as well as protecting the chambermaids from unwelcome attentions from visiting noblemen.—
Cite this Entry
“Ciphers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ciphers. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share