: tending to elude: such as
a
: tending to evade grasp or pursuit
elusive prey
b
: hard to comprehend or define
c
: hard to isolate or identify
elusively
adverb
elusiveness
noun
Examples of elusive in a Sentence
But for all their influence, D.C. lobbyists have failed to attain one elusive goal: public respect.
—
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Recent Examples on the Web
Hawke catches all those elusive qualities in his butterfly net.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
This elusive breast cancer that’s hard to spot in routine mammograms is behind more than 1 in 10 cases nationwide.
—Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Nacelli, who plays forward in soccer, showcased her athleticism with leaping receptions and elusive runs.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Others raise concerns about the massive amount of electricity and content made by humans that the largest models consume, even as dramatic capability improvements have begun to seem elusive.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
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Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
This elusive breast cancer that’s hard to spot in routine mammograms is behind more than 1 in 10 cases nationwide.
—Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Nacelli, who plays forward in soccer, showcased her athleticism with leaping receptions and elusive runs.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Others raise concerns about the massive amount of electricity and content made by humans that the largest models consume, even as dramatic capability improvements have begun to seem elusive.
—NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Cite this Entry
“Elusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elusive. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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