1
as in surreal
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2
as in incomprehensible
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Example Sentences
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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
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Things grow even more surreal when Jeffrey Epstein’s face appears in the sun, spoofing the Teletubbies, and Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and Steve Bannon take the place of Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Po, and Tinky-Winky.
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Joan Baez has inspired me beyond words, so to have her voice on this recording feels surreal.
Adjective
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There have been times when acts of atrocity have been going on — and gosh, some of those things are incomprehensible — yet humanity has found a way.
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Being joyful there — in the Dominican Republic, where small shacks and houses pieced together by junkyard scraps sometimes hold families with over a dozen members — seems incomprehensible.
Adjective
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Although his adoption listing didn't mention his unusual paws, his foster mom did.
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Indeed, that has led to the highly unusual situation of Australia not being the defending champions in either women’s World Cup, with India holding the 50-over title and New Zealand the T20 crown.
Adjective
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The move is widely deemed inexplicable and inexcusable, as George is considered an inconsistent, injury-prone downgrade from Brown, despite the draft capital.
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The organization said Kirbiyik, who spent 10 years alongside Deniz, had not noticed any signs of illness and was shocked by his sudden and inexplicable death.
Adjective
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The reflex, from a distance, is to call this irrational.
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If people believe regulatory caution invalidates every legal claim, courts may look irrational.
Adjective
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Two months of heavy rainfall resulted in then-unfathomable devastation that still reverberates today.
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To some, the Galatasaray forward’s selection in the starting line-up is unfathomable and is now being used to portray Nagelsmann as stubborn or unwilling to react to performances.
Adjective
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Others may miss the warmth of a person who can read the room, handle a strange request or help when something goes wrong.
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Canada coach Jesse Marsch gives strange interview after Morocco World Cup loss.
Adjective
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The world premiere on Sunday – in the presence of Illumination boss Chris Meledandri and director Pierre Coffin, who is also the origin of the minions’ unintelligible chatter – kicks off one of the biggest Annecy Film Festival’s yet.
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The adversaries made for a striking scene, exchanging insults in mutually unintelligible languages in the dead of night.
Cite this Entry
“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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