nebulous

adjective

ˈne-byə-ləs How to pronounce nebulous (audio)
Definition of nebulousnext
1
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly could just make out the nebulous outline of a fishing shack in the dense fog

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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 nebulous The barn jacket sits in a wonderful nebulous space between the chore jacket and army jacket. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026 The young sisters’ upbringing, by a troubled mother, mirrors Darya’s own struggles as a parent on some nebulous medication. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026 Now, to be clear, nightclubs like Basement have a longstanding subjective — and often nebulous — criteria for who gets in, and anyone dorky enough to show up to one wearing Meta glasses almost certainly wouldn’t make the cut anyway. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026 The culture fit piece is perhaps more nebulous but equally important, and while Orgeron fit LSU like a glove, Kelly stuck out like a sore thumb. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nebulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nebulous
  1. ambiguous
  2. vague
  3. cryptic
  4. faint
  5. obscure
  6. hazy
  7. dark
Adjective
  • In fact, mathematicians already know that knots of two or more links have ambiguous polynomials.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Because a decision appears to have been made in the Salvadoran case, then paused, without any public clarification, the situation is more ambiguous.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Okay, Noah is somehow a Manhunter, though how this came to be is left vague and almost intangible for much of the episode.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The law includes an exception for when a pregnant person’s life is in danger, but physicians and lawyers have said the language is vague and could be interpreted differently by different doctors and hospitals.
    — Ciara McCarthy October 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • Emanuel’s cryptic comment comes amid claims that Meghan was in early talks to star in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2026
  • As for what’s going on with the cryptic buying up of team shares, that remains an ongoing mystery for much of the episode — one that ends without Higgins and Rebecca finding out who’s really behind the shenanigans.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • The concept uses single-photon lidar to detect faint laser reflections from an aircraft.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This places the light on a more sensitive part of your retina and can make faint objects easier to see.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • Other researchers were hunting the agents online and finding traces of them on obscure message boards.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Akhtar is at his best here because the sensations remain vivid even when their significance is obscure.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • But the numbers that could give clarity on disabled kids in foster care are harder to come by — partly because of the sometimes hazy definitions of disability but also because of the failure of child welfare providers to even count them.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
  • As the show became a cultural juggernaut, some criticized its vigilante justice and the hazy line between law enforcement and journalism.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of hazy
Adjective
  • There’s nothing about the white bedding, dark-wood furniture, and tan carpeting that will knock your socks off—but nothing that will make your toes curl, either.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Guadagnino and screenwriter Simon Rich mold the material from dark humor through technocratic giddiness to sobering horror.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of dark

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nebulous
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Cite this Entry

“Nebulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nebulous. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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