as in ambiguous
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Recent Examples of nonobvious
In fact, adopting AI, especially with something as central to success as pricing, makes figuring out how to fit the old with the new both critically important and nonobvious.
—
Mike Ryan, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022
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
To get a patent, an invention must be novel, nonobvious and useful—all reasonable requirements.
—Paul R. Michel and Matthew J. Dowd, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2020
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
But nonobvious money trails are popular on both ends of the spectrum.
—Scott Walter, WSJ, 16 Oct. 2018
Mike Ryan, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022
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
To get a patent, an invention must be novel, nonobvious and useful—all reasonable requirements.
—Paul R. Michel and Matthew J. Dowd, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2020
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
But nonobvious money trails are popular on both ends of the spectrum.
—Scott Walter, WSJ, 16 Oct. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonobvious
Adjective
-
Whether the death was self-inflicted or by accident is ambiguous.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision eliminated Chevron deference, sharply curtailing agencies’ ability to interpret ambiguous laws.—
AJ Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That would be the mysterious Dao Ming (Shang-Chi‘s Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Struggling to keep up with his fast-rising debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But the path to controlling it often feels unclear or overwhelming.—
Dan Galorath,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The exact timing of the disruption is unclear, so the potential aurora borealis could be visible any time between 11pm on Aug. 7 through Aug. 9.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
His classical, sometimes obscure tastes contrasted with Pomeranz’s appreciation for Hollywood blockbusters, making their debates supremely entertaining as well as enlightening.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Some — like the emblem of the 101st Airborne and the 1st Cavalry — are easily recognizable but others are more obscure.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
And somehow that memory — faint and indistinct — might surpass anything Tim Burton might have been able to craft.—
Rance Collins,
IndieWire,
14 July 2025
-
But even that latter monster showed only a shimmering red blob of a planet with shifting, indistinct imagery.—
Rod Pyle,
Space.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some events, perhaps especially those that are morally incomprehensible, need to be wrestled with on a human level.—
Will Harris,
EW.com,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Her scream resonated with the one in my chest while also being incomprehensible and beyond me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
The countdown shows a glittering orange backdrop, with the cryptic clock in mint green lettering.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Prior to the announcement, the official Taylor Nation social media account—which is run by Swift's social media team—shared a cryptic post.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Perseverance's adventures have revealed some insights about the enigmatic Martian geology.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Weapons is a movie about a local misfortune that then reveals the enigmatic villain behind it and delights in her comeuppance.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonobvious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonobvious. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
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