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
Still others are dumping otherwise inscrutable medical records downloaded from patient portals into the generative AI bot, hoping to glean new insights.
—
Mario Aguilar, STAT, 8 Jan. 2026
But all actions have consequences—even arbitrary and inscrutable ones.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
The book itself is the only possible diagram—always somewhat blurred, sometimes inscrutable—of its inner workings.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That race introduced Kipchoge, with his gnomic wisdom and inscrutable smile, to a broader audience outside the running aficionados who already worshipped him.
—The Editors, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Mario Aguilar, STAT, 8 Jan. 2026
But all actions have consequences—even arbitrary and inscrutable ones.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
The book itself is the only possible diagram—always somewhat blurred, sometimes inscrutable—of its inner workings.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That race introduced Kipchoge, with his gnomic wisdom and inscrutable smile, to a broader audience outside the running aficionados who already worshipped him.
—The Editors, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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Not to mention the titular bugs, a swarm of blood-invading creatures discovered by her new lover, the mysterious drifter Peter Evans (Namir Smallwood).—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Columbus, Ohio, police chief is speaking out for the first time since the mysterious murders of dentist Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Even in agencies that have, some policies are weak or ambiguous.—
Ben Jones,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
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Even in agencies that have, some policies are weak or ambiguous.—
Ben Jones,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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By contrast, fringe subcultures operate in a more cryptic and chaotic manner.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Heeding these cryptic words some three decades later, the audacious (and well-read) impresario Tony Wilson opened the Haçienda together with the circle of post-punk musicians and designers involved with his label, Factory Records.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Yorgos suggested Bugonia, which comes from an obscure Greek myth about a colony of bees that arises from the corpse of a cow.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
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But unlike Andor, which used its relatively obscure protagonist to showcase regular citizens’ resistance to the tyranny that’s so integral to the Star Wars mythology, Seven Kingdoms seems to exist mostly to tide us over between Dragon seasons.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This mind-melter from Charlie Kaufman centers on an enigmatic Buckley as the conflicted girlfriend of Jesse Plemons’s awkward Jake, who takes her to meet his incredibly strange parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis).—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
12 Jan. 2026
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One of Weir’s most enigmatic tracks, and easily one of his finest.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Don't feel afraid to play with bold (but dark) colors and various materials.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
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Open my soul to the vast dark places.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some of Lilo’s predictions have gone viral for their uncanny accuracy.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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There’s something uncanny about this still and stunning portrait of a twenty-one-year-old Taylor Swift, shot by Katy Grannan for Lizzie Widdicombe’s Profile of the singer, in 2011.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Although Nuccio is as down to earth as anyone could be, and definitely not a mystic, there can be no disputing his stature as a remarkable man.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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Madonna was born and raised Catholic but has long practiced the Jewish mystic tradition of Kabbalah and adopted the Hebrew name Esther in 2004, per The Forward.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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