1
as in surreal
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in incomprehensible
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 Kafkaesque
Those who value and respect America but couldn’t find their way through the Kafkaesque immigration system deserve a chance to rectify their situation.
—
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 10 Aug. 2025
In a Kafkaesque twist, Trump’s chart assigns Eswatini the lowest possible (10 percent) reciprocal tariff, despite the fact the nation applies the same external tariffs as Lesotho.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
To be fair, dealing with any healthcare bureaucracy in America is sure to be frustrating and annoying, and will most likely turn into a Kafkaesque nightmare.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 27 June 2025
Obtaining a permit to fly a drone in Nepal as a foreigner was a somewhat Kafkaesque exercise in patience.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 6 May 2025
These are intentional Kafkaesque problems that the Trump Administration is creating.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025
No one wants to have their family vacation turned into some Kafkaesque nightmare at the hands of ICE agents emboldened by the country's general climate of incipient fascism.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
That standard was used to suppress the speech of faculty, such as Northwestern professor Laura Kipnis, who in a Kafkaesque turn was the subject of a legal complaint by students under Title IX for writing an op-ed column criticizing the Obama view of Title IX.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2025
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 10 Aug. 2025
In a Kafkaesque twist, Trump’s chart assigns Eswatini the lowest possible (10 percent) reciprocal tariff, despite the fact the nation applies the same external tariffs as Lesotho.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
To be fair, dealing with any healthcare bureaucracy in America is sure to be frustrating and annoying, and will most likely turn into a Kafkaesque nightmare.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 27 June 2025
Obtaining a permit to fly a drone in Nepal as a foreigner was a somewhat Kafkaesque exercise in patience.
—Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 6 May 2025
These are intentional Kafkaesque problems that the Trump Administration is creating.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025
No one wants to have their family vacation turned into some Kafkaesque nightmare at the hands of ICE agents emboldened by the country's general climate of incipient fascism.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
That standard was used to suppress the speech of faculty, such as Northwestern professor Laura Kipnis, who in a Kafkaesque turn was the subject of a legal complaint by students under Title IX for writing an op-ed column criticizing the Obama view of Title IX.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Kafkaesque
Adjective
-
The movie is a surreal story about the life of a hero (voiced by professional rapper Ace Cool) who, in his youth, becomes a J-pop idol.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Phish’s penchant for weirdness and surreal stuff wasn’t left behind for these shows, either (after all, a band equally influenced by Rush, the Grateful Dead, Talking Heads, and Frank Zappa wouldn’t likely be caged into anything resembling ordinary).—
Jeff Miller,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The majesty of the natural world and the incomprehensible vastness of space are almost infinitely rearrangeable variables for documentarians.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Arthur is a creepy dude, a generic-looking cellphone store employee with an incomprehensible plan.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
They were both struck by the unusual culture in Steubenville.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Player news becomes national news, entire communities grind to a halt to watch games, and shops post unusual hours that suspiciously align with the match schedule.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
How else to explain the President’s many otherwise inexplicable acts since returning to office?—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Research suggests this sudden, inexplicable illness affects women more often than men.—
Lindsay Dodgson,
SELF,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Letting Jinx stay is yet another act of irrational love from Margo.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
-
That resistance is not irrational.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The top leagues are where the biggest clubs play – think Manchester United and Bayern Munich – with rosters of global superstars who are paid unfathomable wages.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In recent years, extreme weather events have caused unfathomable economic damage, and those costs are passed on to homeowners, renters, and small businesses through higher rates for insurance.—
Scott Wiener,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Getty Images With five weeks of Europe’s biggest domestic league seasons left to play, all kinds of strange scorelines are starting to roll in.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The end of kayfabe brought about a strange artistic flourishing—wrestling postmodernism.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In it, a local TV meteorologist played by Emily Blunt goes mute mid-broadcast and comes out instead with a series of unintelligible noises that rivet viewers.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, first-time director Fergus Campbell drops us directly into Cleo’s world — no parents, no rules and every authority figure is obscured, like the unintelligible adults in Peanuts cartoons.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
