inconclusive

adjective

Definition of inconclusivenext
as in erroneous
not showing that something is certainly true The results of the test proved inconclusive. an inconclusive argument

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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 inconclusive After teenage boys first reported that they had been abused in 2005, Church of the Resurrection conducted an internal investigation that court records show was inconclusive. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 New research, ancient myth All of the results from the most recent research project are, at the moment, still preliminary and inconclusive. — Eric Vanden Eykel, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026 Plus, testing can cause anxiety and stress — as patients wait for results and if the results are inconclusive. — Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 If that investigation determines that someone is here illegally or if the investigation is inconclusive, police must notify the Department of Homeland Security, which runs the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division. — The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inconclusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inconclusive
  1. erroneous
  2. inaccurate
  3. incorrect
  4. flawed
  5. misleading
  6. wrong
Adjective
  • Rather than pulling Herta’s IndyCar results from the official scoring, the team apparently relied on IndyCar’s erroneous website.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
  • According to a lawsuit, a coding error resulted in erroneous scores being generated and reported to third parties over a three-week period between March and April 2022.
    — Brian Sloan,Dan Avery, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • According to reports, Russia’s early firings of the KN-23, which began in early 2024, were often inaccurate.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Underestimating your mileage or omitting a household driver could lead to inaccurate quotes or complications when the insurer verifies your application.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of inaccurate
Adjective
  • During the 2022 midterm elections, independent observers from the Carter Center reported significant numbers of voters arriving at incorrect precincts, likely because of changes associated with redistricting.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • An earlier version of this story included an incorrect name and gender for the victim in the crash, based on information from the highway patrol.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of incorrect
Adjective
  • But the party was wrecked on Election Day not by its flawed attorney general.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Throughout his time in the governor’s office, DeSantis has abused special sessions to force rushed and often deceitful debate (including the two days of meetings that produced the badly flawed Amendment 3 in the first place).
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of flawed
Adjective
  • Early voting trends and stories about how long the lines are in reliably red or blue districts are tempting to use as data points — but are notoriously misleading.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The claim featured in the ad was rated misleading, as a series of court records undercut the claim that Hamilton attempted to protect the child abuser.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of misleading
Adjective
  • Delay hydrangea pruning because cutting at the wrong time can eliminate next season’s blooms.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 5 Nov. 2026
  • On Wednesday, as the indexes were soaring, Jim Cramer had been warning that Wall Street's first reaction to the midterm Democratic wave might be wrong.
    — Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of wrong

Browse Nearby Words

in concert
inconclusive
inconclusiveness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inconclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inconclusive. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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