1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the many inscrutable beliefs of that ancient religion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
ancient oracles typically uttered inscrutable prophecies that could be interpreted almost any way one chose
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inscrutable
Don’t be pointlessly inscrutable.
—
Kim Scott, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Brahms’ shifting rhythms are dreamlike and inscrutable, and Tetzloff handled them with care.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
For many, the mention of algebra summons only unhappy memories of confused encounters with inscrutable equations.
—Dan Rockmore, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Intentional exclusivity These ads are meant to be inscrutable to most passersby.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Kim Scott, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Brahms’ shifting rhythms are dreamlike and inscrutable, and Tetzloff handled them with care.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
For many, the mention of algebra summons only unhappy memories of confused encounters with inscrutable equations.
—Dan Rockmore, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Intentional exclusivity These ads are meant to be inscrutable to most passersby.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, Ally’s peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger and is thrust into a journey real-life marine creatures as the film explores themes of friendship and courage.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Last House is about a family of four who are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat keeping them trapped.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And that ambiguous statement raised alarms not just with workers but also with human rights groups such as Amnesty International, which issued a World Cup travel advisory for visitors planning on attending the tournament.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The official public warnings for the next Soyuz rocket launch from Plesetsk were even more ambiguous, covering various periods between April 1 and 15.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Eurich later posted a cryptic video to @dumbrblnd on April 21 that followers seemed to think was in reference to Murray.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the weeks before Andrew Lloyd Webber announced the New York staging of his The Phantom of the Opera reboot Masquerade last year, cryptic messages and clues began popping up, not least being the appearance of the masked singer outside the Tony Awards ceremony.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The movie is available on YouTube, while the original documentary has been taken off HBO's streaming services until 2029 due to an obscure non-disparagement clause contained within a deal the premium cable service made with Jackson in 1992, as Reed told Variety.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Human ears couldn't possibly distinguish the names of obscure songs in one bar's music round.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This elliptical, enigmatic sentence, with its palindromic form (not unlike that of the Heart Sutra), signals the main thrust of Pau’s work, which employs structures of looping, repetition, and recursion to explore the space of ambiguity and uncertainty.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The enigmatic artist took credit for the work in a humorous video, posted to his Instagram page Thursday, which showed workers erecting the statue under the cover of night.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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But what exactly happens to these baby stars next isn't always clear (literally) because they are buried deep within clouds of dark, dusty gas that obscure them.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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All the bedrooms can be found upstairs, including one that’s currently being used as an office and a primary suite flaunting dual dressing rooms and baths, plus a sauna clad in dark gray stone.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
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Cameras now deploy ever higher frame rates, as seen in the uncanny sheen of blockbusters by James Cameron and Peter Jackson, and films are shot, shown, and restored on ever higher resolutions (4K, 8K, and beyond).—
Dennis Lim,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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