cryptic
/ˈkrɪptɪk/
adjective
- Mysterious or difficult to understand; having a hidden meaning.
- Her cryptic smile made me wonder what she was thinking.
- The instructions were so cryptic that we had to guess what to do.
- He left a cryptic note on the table that no one could decipher.
- (of a crossword clue) using wordplay, puns, or anagrams rather than straightforward definitions.
- The clue 'flower' in a cryptic puzzle might mean 'river'.
- She solved the cryptic clue by noticing it was an anagram.
- I prefer cryptic crosswords because they are more challenging.
- (biology) Referring to an animal or plant that is camouflaged or hard to see in its natural environment.
- Many deep-sea fish have cryptic forms that hide them from predators.
- The cryptic coloring of the moth helps it blend into tree bark.
- The biologist studied the cryptic species that look almost identical.
Synonyms