as in obscure
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the exact reason for the change in plans is ambiguous, but I suspect it has something to do with money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ambiguous
Even though Eleven got the ambiguous ending while the main gang graduated high school and set out for life beyond Hawkins, there’s still a lot of the story to be told.
—
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 5 Jan. 2026
Matt and Ross Duffer previously spoke to Entertainment Weekly about Eleven's ambiguous fate and their debates that went into writing it.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 2026
European leaders seemed to avoid committing themselves to one side or another and used more ambiguous language.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
The impact of Maduro's overthrow on oil prices is ambiguous in the short run, said Daan Struyven, head of oil research at Goldman Sachs.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ambiguous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambiguous
Adjective
-
Gardenia x daruma is an obscure dwarf hybrid that is hardy down to 20 degrees and, planted on its own, grows no more than three feet tall with small flowers and leaves.—
-
Advertisement The Epstein case is yet another reminder of how power can both obscure harm and suppress the voices of survivors.—
Adjective
-
This mind-melter from Charlie Kaufman centers on an enigmatic Buckley as the conflicted girlfriend of Jesse Plemons’s awkward Jake, who takes her to meet his incredibly strange parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis).—
-
One of Weir’s most enigmatic tracks, and easily one of his finest.—
Adjective
-
The championship standard isn’t volleyed about in vague terms.—
-
Washington’s presence there, however, gave the delegates confidence to endow the presidency with vague and expansive powers.—
Adjective
-
Not to mention the titular bugs, a swarm of blood-invading creatures discovered by her new lover, the mysterious drifter Peter Evans (Namir Smallwood).—
-
The Columbus, Ohio, police chief is speaking out for the first time since the mysterious murders of dentist Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe.—
Adjective
-
The circumstances of Villegas-Gonzalez's death remain unclear.—
-
While past studies have shown that dairy products may have a protective effect against dementia, how specific dairy products affect cognitive health remains unclear.—
Adjective
-
The publication also shares some of the murky citation practices of contemporary social media.—
-
The murky word of sports collectibles The passion to possess a thing that belonged to someone famous is as old as time.—
Adjective
-
By contrast, fringe subcultures operate in a more cryptic and chaotic manner.—
-
Heeding these cryptic words some three decades later, the audacious (and well-read) impresario Tony Wilson opened the Haçienda together with the circle of post-punk musicians and designers involved with his label, Factory Records.—
Adjective
-
Helena, meanwhile, was supposedly a mystic receiving directions from spiritual masters hidden in the Himalayas.—
-
This was the danger Madison considered — that mystic memory would falsely elevate the Constitution.—
Cite this Entry
“Ambiguous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambiguous. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share