ciphers 1 of 2

noun

plural of cipher
1
as in zeros
the numerical symbol 0 or the absence of number or quantity represented by it remember to put the cipher after the decimal point

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in numbers
a person of no importance or influence it was either write the Great American Novel or be consigned to the status of a cipher in the annals of literature

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ciphers

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cipher
as in figures
to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 ciphers
Noun
Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s. — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026 The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, frequently sent threats, demands and ciphers to multiple local papers — namely the San Francisco Chronicle. — Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026 The Blind Owl is extremely dense, brimming with metaphors and ciphers and symbols. — Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026 Like Dostoyevsky, Capote doesn’t portray his killers as demonic ciphers, instead capturing their messy complexity. — Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026 Two streetlamps engaged in a mute but luminous dialogue, an indecipherable Morse code, alluding to the silent exchanges and secret ciphers of strangers who meet there for their trysts. — Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 Such ciphers are easy to crack using techniques such as checking letter frequency and identifying common patterns. — PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025 She, the cinema; he, the audience — these ciphers would be compelling in short-form, but in carrying a feature they’re only buoyed by the natural chemistry of their performers. — Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ciphers
  1. zeros
  2. nobodies
  3. figures
  4. lightweights
  5. calculates
  6. insects
  7. shrimp
  8. dwarfs
Noun
  • My number was a bother to my friends because of the two zeros.
    — Murr Brewster, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026
  • These machines can crunch numbers at blinding speeds—more than a quintillion (that’s a one followed by 18 zeroes) operations a second—assuming they can be fed data fast enough.
    — Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of zeros
Noun
  • Yvonne and Nick’s disastrous wedding dinner is the day the cast went from nobodies to actual practitioners of the reality-television arts and sciences.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of nobodies
Verb
  • Egbuka figures to be the primary target for quarterback Baker Mayfield.
    — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Most of the eight returning players were prospects, but former top prospect Marcelo Mayer figures to help San Francisco in the not-so-distant future.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of figures
Noun
  • Jupiter, by comparison, is as much as 35 times denser than these two lightweights.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).
    — Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of lightweights
Verb
  • Based on the information provided, The Farmer's Dog creates a customized nutrition plan and calculates appropriate portion sizes.
    — Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The system then calculates the exact three-dimensional coordinates where the photon hit the crystal.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of calculates
Noun
  • Dragonflies catch an assortment of soft-body flying insects including flies, moths, butterflies and mosquitoes.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Overall, these insects do not pose a wide-scale threat to plants.
    — Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of insects
Noun
  • Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.
    — Janelle Davis, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.
    — Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2023
Definition of shrimp
Noun
  • This is why a major question in the field is whether or not rocky planet atmospheres can even survive at all around M dwarfs.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • And the question is whether the planets even have atmospheres, because M dwarfs are quite active.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 July 2026
Definition of dwarfs

Browse Nearby Words

ciphering
ciphers
circa
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Cite this Entry

“Ciphers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ciphers. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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