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
The two-part series delves into LaRue's exhaustive efforts to protect Kaya and the FBI's hunt for the stalker whose threats left a mother and daughter with lasting psychological trauma.
—
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Following the Chiefs’ 31-0 humiliation of the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Andy Reid dispensed with his normally exhaustive postgame rundown of individual accolades.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
While not an exhaustive list and not a substitute for professional legal advice, here are a few rules Ohio protesters must follow, according to the ACLU of Ohio and the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2025
While the sources may have been past colleagues, and the archival papers her own work, Orlean set out to be exhaustive and exacting in charting her personal history.
—Nathan Smith, Air Mail, 11 Oct. 2025
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.
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Following the Chiefs’ 31-0 humiliation of the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Andy Reid dispensed with his normally exhaustive postgame rundown of individual accolades.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
While not an exhaustive list and not a substitute for professional legal advice, here are a few rules Ohio protesters must follow, according to the ACLU of Ohio and the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2025
While the sources may have been past colleagues, and the archival papers her own work, Orlean set out to be exhaustive and exacting in charting her personal history.
—Nathan Smith, Air Mail, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exhaustive
Cite this Entry
“Exhaustive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhaustive. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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
Share