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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Starring Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield and Demi Moore, the film takes Riley’s stylistic blend of surreal comedy and political critique into the world of fast fashion.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
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The amount of talent on the field at the same time was, indeed, surreal.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And sometimes tragic death truly is incomprehensible.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
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By dismissing shooters as incomprehensible villains, Peterson says, families and communities may miss warning signs in the young people around them.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But with this unusual warmth, Greene warns even that may not be enough.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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As Southern California’s unusual March heat wave continues, several daily temperature records were broken across the region on Wednesday, March 18.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There are few things that bring me pure, inexplicable joy.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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And because most women don’t know about the estrogen-dopamine connection, and most doctors don’t either, the crash feels inexplicable and deeply personal.—
Sarah Oreck,
SELF,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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My greatest irrational fear was that the machine might squeeze far tighter than necessary and I’d just be stuck there in immense pain until someone unplugged the cord.—
Zachary Bernstein,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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Silver’s encouragement had filled me with irrational confidence.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For reasons this review cannot reveal, the Clyburns of New York find themselves in Montana to confront an unfathomable accident and all the gut-wrenching emotions and paperwork that come amid loss.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
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But give the man credit for putting up numbers that are borderline unfathomable, small sample size notwithstanding.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One thing was clear from the beginning — these strange objects were common.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
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It was written by Nicki Cortese and follows a man (Goggins) who wakes up in a strange house covered in blood and comes to realize his true identity while fighting off contract killers from his past, which includes everyone from his exes to his best friend.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Later audio intel from subsidiary figures is likewise frequently rendered unintelligible by distortion, staticky transmission, etc.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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