exhaustive
adjective
ex·haus·tive
ig-ˈzȯ-stiv 
: including all possibilities : thorough
conducted an exhaustive search
Examples of exhaustive in a Sentence
The list was long but not exhaustive.
after an exhaustive search of our house, we still hadn't found the cat
Recent Examples on the Web
Attrition is costly and exhaustive and is the silent killer of some businesses.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Last winter, before launching a series of public polls on the 2025 Democratic primary race for mayor of New York, our firm conducted an exhaustive analysis of the NYC Board of Elections voter file, examining primary turnout trends across multiple years under different political scenarios.
—
Bradley Honan,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2026
Rigorous, exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles is the standard industry practice for major airport transit infrastructure to guarantee seamless long-term system integration.
—
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
In 2024 in Miami-Dade County, housing for a single adult cost $1,892 per month, food $549, transportation $424, healthcare $189, and that's not an exhaustive list of necessities — the monthly total, factoring in additional expenses, came to $3,982.
—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for exhaustive
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.
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Last winter, before launching a series of public polls on the 2025 Democratic primary race for mayor of New York, our firm conducted an exhaustive analysis of the NYC Board of Elections voter file, examining primary turnout trends across multiple years under different political scenarios.
—
Bradley Honan,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2026
Rigorous, exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles is the standard industry practice for major airport transit infrastructure to guarantee seamless long-term system integration.
—
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
In 2024 in Miami-Dade County, housing for a single adult cost $1,892 per month, food $549, transportation $424, healthcare $189, and that's not an exhaustive list of necessities — the monthly total, factoring in additional expenses, came to $3,982.
—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for exhaustive
Cite this Entry
“Exhaustive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhaustive. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exhaustive
adjective
ex·haus·tive
ig-ˈzȯ-stiv
: trying all possibilities : thorough
an exhaustive search
exhaustively
adverb
exhaustiveness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
