cipher

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some refer to her as the “Manchurian candidate,” said John Hart, a communication professor at Hawaii Pacific University, referring to the malleable cipher in the famous political thriller.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

Gabriel could have come across as a mere cipher in this environment, a faceless spook navigating smoke and mirrors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

The Cybertruck has become a cipher for this injustice.

From Slate • Jun. 22, 2025

Since the nascent days of filmmaking, “Nosferatu” has been a sociological cipher.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024

The man who invented Bacon’s cipher was Sir Francis Bacon, an English scientist and statesman who lived in Shakespeare’s day.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield