INCOMPLETE Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

incomplete

adjective

ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt

Definition of incomplete

as in deficient

lacking some necessary part an incomplete puzzle that has several pieces missing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of incomplete But Jackson could not find a receiver on the final play and threw an incomplete pass. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026 Ethan O’Connor logged 26 snaps and his only target was an incomplete pass. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026 Through two games, just six of his 54 passes have ended up incomplete. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 That’s an incomplete snapshot because the division refused to release data on when investigations began. — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incomplete

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incomplete

Adjective

Yet researchers have found that nearly a third of adults in the United States are iron deficient.

— Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
In a deficient area, the exception is exposed, and to last, the exception must be exceptional somewhere else.

— Zach Berman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of deficient

Adjective

Even with just a partial return, last season’s figures clearly show why Barca embarked on such an expensive project in the first place.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
This comes after a partial glacier collapse in the Himalayan mountains unleashed a sudden surge of water, mud, and debris that swept through border crossings, valley communities, and hydropower projects on August 26.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of partial

Adjective

Loosely based on an unfinished novel by Federico García Lorca, a writer assassinated during the Spanish Civil War, the film explores the lives of three gay men in three time periods.

— A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
The committee has already begun holding events on the unfinished lot so people will get used to coming there.

— Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of unfinished

Adjective

In the last three centuries, scholars have unearthed a few morsels—a description in an old poem of a similar tapestry; some rare Scandinavian textiles—that provide at least fragmentary context for the artifact’s existence.

— John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Her massive concrete site-work, which takes up the entirety of the Geffen Galleries plaza, is peppered with fragmentary representations of the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl and the simulated footprints of Californian fauna.

— George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of fragmentary

Browse Nearby Words

incompetents

incomplete

incompletely

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Incomplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incomplete. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of incomplete

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shofar

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes