NONOBVIOUS Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

nonobvious

adjective

Definition of nonobvious

as in ambiguous

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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 nonobvious On the flip side, if your financial situation is complicated and nonobvious, be sure to take the time to explain it to your mortgage loan originator. — Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 This comes to resemble a branding exercise—perhaps a necessary one to sell a book these days—but the advice is good, and some of it nonobvious. — Matthew Hutson, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2021 The rise of cloud computing, open-source platforms and the API economy has contributed in both obvious and nonobvious ways to this transformation. — Romi Stein, Forbes, 1 June 2021 And to also keep nonobvious stuff on hand — like teddy bears for the kids, a rubber bone for the dog and $50 in cash, all in $1 bills. — Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, 11 June 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonobvious

Adjective

Jones, Cullen and Locke are pleased to hear how effective the ambiguous ending to Black Church Bay is.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
That’s a question for next season, but their flirtation has been built around Sid’s ambiguous motives from the beginning.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambiguous

Adjective

In May 2025, NPR reported, citing two sources with direct knowledge, that Holmes had been advising Evans from prison, though the nature of that advice was unclear.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
How that list would be compiled, and by whom, and under what criteria, was left unclear.

— Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of unclear

Adjective

But Sung, Bennett and Miller stayed his order, finding that the California deployment could go forward under an obscure and virtually untested subsection of the law.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
The area sits within the Lake Superior clay plain, where the surrounding soil is largely composed of clay, which can make the water murky and obscure objects beneath the surface.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscure

Adjective

And then the sun slips above the horizon, and in an instant the shadows turn from indistinct gray blurs to sharp black lines.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Yet cycling’s code of ethics is both large and indistinct; the scale of Pogačar’s dominance threatens its traditions.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Definition of indistinct

Adjective

Days before the openings, the prospect of showing across his hometown still seemed to Hodges about as incomprehensible as a dream.

— Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Stanton’s confession ends up being incomprehensible to anyone but himself—an irony that McCarthy, with his partiality for secret codes, seems to take great pleasure in.

— Max Callimanopulos, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of incomprehensible

Adjective

Here’s a prime example of a more cryptic style of clue that sometimes pops up in late-week puzzles.

— Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Kermode was curious, if not slightly annoyed about all this cryptic communication and the request for a secret rendezvous.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of cryptic

Adjective

Swamped by allegations of fraud, the actions of the company and its enigmatic CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, shone a harsh light on problems with scientific start-ups.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
That's especially prevalent in the Oversized Graphic T-Shirt with enigmatic dates on the back -- those are already causing a stir in the fan community.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of enigmatic

Browse Nearby Words

nonobservances

nonobvious

nonofficial

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“Nonobvious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonobvious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonobvious

adjective

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