elusive

adjective

ē-ˈlü-siv How to pronounce elusive (audio)
Definition of elusivenext
as in slippery
hard to find, capture, or isolate the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 elusive Earlier, Khan had posted a public plea on Instagram about the dorm’s elusive toilet paper handles and Rae responded, later inviting her to join them to sing. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 Summary Disney's Infinity Vision, initially met with skepticism, aims to standardize cinema quality by certifying theaters with laser projection, a feature often elusive to moviegoers. — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The data will help scientists uncover new insights into planetary systems around other stars and map how matter is structured and distributed throughout the cosmos, offering fresh clues about the elusive nature of dark energy. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Despite the show’s success, Dimoldenberg said some guests remain elusive. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elusive
  1. slippery
  2. transient
  3. evasive
Adjective
  • Experts recommend bathroom flooring be water-resistant, easy to clean, and non-slippery.
    — Jason Rueger, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Local authorities would rope together timber logs for a makeshift bridge, but in the rainy season, the logs would grow slippery and floods would wash them away.
    — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slippery
Adjective
  • Summary The 2018 Sears bankruptcy underscored retail's transient nature, a lesson Jeff Bezos and former Walmart CEO Doug McMillon also emphasize.
    — Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Before his arrest, Grannell appears to have been transient, possibly living at a campground in Round Mountain, Texas.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of transient
Adjective
  • Rogers was allegedly evasive when asked how his truck had gone off the road and down an embankment and started to walk away from the trooper toward a nearby picnic table with a crossbow and several arrows on it, state police said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the answers remain evasive enough that Golden State coach Natalie Nakase charges herself with the blame for not yet finding new answers for this foe.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of evasive

Browse Nearby Words

elusion
elusive
elutriate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elusive. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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