1
as in surreal
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2
as in incomprehensible
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Recent Examples of Kafkaesque
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
In a particularly Kafkaesque explanation for why some of the Venezuelan migrants who have no criminal records were targeted for arrest and deportation, government lawyers argued in court that their lack of a criminal record is in itself cause for concern.
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
But Ned was declared dead last month by the Social Security Administration, which led him and his wife on a Kafkaesque quest to prove there’s life left in this salty old Seattle seadog yet.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
This Kafkaesque saga began late Friday, when President Donald Trump quietly signed an order availing himself of a wartime authority to carry out the mass deportations.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
This defiant and entertaining work playfully uses headshots and avatars to visualize clandestine audio recordings documenting years of Kafkaesque impositions, threats, and vital dissident art.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
The plot revolves around the Black protagonist’s Kafkaesque trial before the U.S. Supreme Court for supposedly attempting to restore slavery and segregation in his small, agrarian community near Los Angeles, and our hero’s reflections on what led him to this point.
—Barbara Ellis, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2025
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
In a particularly Kafkaesque explanation for why some of the Venezuelan migrants who have no criminal records were targeted for arrest and deportation, government lawyers argued in court that their lack of a criminal record is in itself cause for concern.
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
But Ned was declared dead last month by the Social Security Administration, which led him and his wife on a Kafkaesque quest to prove there’s life left in this salty old Seattle seadog yet.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
This Kafkaesque saga began late Friday, when President Donald Trump quietly signed an order availing himself of a wartime authority to carry out the mass deportations.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
This defiant and entertaining work playfully uses headshots and avatars to visualize clandestine audio recordings documenting years of Kafkaesque impositions, threats, and vital dissident art.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
The plot revolves around the Black protagonist’s Kafkaesque trial before the U.S. Supreme Court for supposedly attempting to restore slavery and segregation in his small, agrarian community near Los Angeles, and our hero’s reflections on what led him to this point.
—Barbara Ellis, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Kafkaesque
Adjective
-
Watching that surreal montage in the theater felt like ascending.—
Ayan Artan,
Vogue,
2 May 2025
-
Getting to do that one on the Mane Stage was seriously surreal.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
The terrible tragedy that some people went through is just incomprehensible.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 May 2025
-
Researching feels incomprehensible or inapplicable, especially as a business owner.—
Bree Manay,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Nearly a hundred shiny black calves are frolicking in the pastures, including twin bulls (birthweight of 72 pounds each) whose mother is completely unruffled by this unusual occurrence and its maternal responsibilities.—
Susan Koch,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2025
-
That’s not unusual, for people to send spritzes, but then the manager came out with a gift bag.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
Popular enough where Reacher is currently the #1 show a full month and a half after season 3 ended, and slid down the list eventually before this inexplicable resurgence.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
-
Bebe Zahara Benet delivered pure magic (with a dose of madness) in her inexplicable yet massively memorable and instantly meme-able verse.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Just discerning what worries are irrational and unproductive can be a great start in reducing them.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
1 May 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement The only thing falling quicker than Washington’s patience with the White House is the U.S. economy, which has been rocked by fears of a trade war fueled by escalating and irrational tariffs.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Zendaya is something of a style icon, known for her bold, distinctive outfits, but TikTokers reckon that the Dune star is hiding an unfathomable secret inside her oversized hat.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
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The expansion of the loophole for tariff-free shipments of goods nearly a decade ago gave rise to Temu, Shein and other low-cost online retailers offering items straight from Chinese factories at unfathomable discounts.—
Daisuke Wakabayashi,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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Imposing tariffs on barbecues manufactured in China is illogical.—
Tim Bajarin,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
For example, NFTs experienced what might be on the most rapid rises in value followed by a devastating cycle of value destruction, complete with instances of fraud, illogical business models, and speculation.—
Sean Stein Smith,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Franklin’s script just doesn’t find an emotional center among so many stock, under-articulated strands, though that may be partly due to thick accents rendering some dialogue unintelligible to American ears.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2025
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But wait: That angry voice seems to grow louder, if still unintelligible — and is now joined by the murmuring of others.—
John Hanc,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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