closed books

noun

plural of closed book
as in mysteries
something hard to understand or explain the couple's unorthodox marriage is definitely a closed book to those outside of the relationship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for closed books
  1. mysteries
  2. puzzles
  3. secrets
Noun
  • However, its growing mysteries nudge it, paradoxically, toward the literal, leaving it with few places to go.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Its survey will produce huge amounts of data and could solve several cosmic mysteries, with potential achievements ranging from understanding dark energy to detecting exoplanets—and finding some things astronomers don’t even know about yet.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mysteries
Noun
  • Central colleague cafes provide complimentary premium coffee and beverages, while gaming lounges with puzzles and tabletop games offer opportunities for hands-on breaks from screens.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026
  • With John reluctantly pulled into one of his strangest puzzles yet, the race is on for the Taylors to solve the crime.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzles
Noun
  • The new show Sterling Point features a mysterious inheritance, a teen love triangle and deep generational lies and secrets.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Her arrival stirs enough secrets, crushes, and shifting loyalties to fill an eight-episode TV show.
    — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of secrets
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.

Browse Nearby Words

closed book
closed books
closed-captioning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Closed books.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closed%20books. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All