as in erroneous
not showing that something is certainly true
The results of the test proved inconclusive. an inconclusive argument
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Recent Examples of inconclusive
Multiple doctors thought Provencher had terminal lung cancer, but tests and biopsies were inconclusive.
—
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
As for what kind of case Greene will build to defend Reiner, the legal tea leaves remain inconclusive.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Videos of the encounter posted on social media are inconclusive, but if the animals were indeed Burmese pythons, this would likely be the first time aquatic courtship behavior was documented in Florida.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
The toddler showed no obvious signs of trauma when he was discovered, police said, and the city medical examiner is conducting additional testing after an initial autopsy was inconclusive.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inconclusive
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
As for what kind of case Greene will build to defend Reiner, the legal tea leaves remain inconclusive.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Videos of the encounter posted on social media are inconclusive, but if the animals were indeed Burmese pythons, this would likely be the first time aquatic courtship behavior was documented in Florida.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
The toddler showed no obvious signs of trauma when he was discovered, police said, and the city medical examiner is conducting additional testing after an initial autopsy was inconclusive.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inconclusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inconclusive
Adjective
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That’s an extra $1,780 or so purely because the IRS concluded the erroneous position was intentional rather than mistaken.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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How to opt out Incorporating AI directly into Gmail could pose risks for Google, given that large language models can sometimes present erroneous or misleading information.—
Julia Doyle,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In the 222 years since declaring its independence, the Caribbean country and its people has consistently found itself as the target of American derision—from Thomas Jefferson’s refusal to acknowledge Haiti's independence to Trump’s inaccurate depiction of Haitians.—
Ruth Jean-Marie,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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Behind the scenes, Newsom’s staff have taken a similar approach and tone, calling for the tabloid to change language in stories that the team feels is inaccurate or misleading.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Conversely, the state Attorney General's office believes applying the anti-nepotism law in this situation would be an incorrect and overly broad interpretation.—
David Bauerlein,
Florida Times-Union,
4 Feb. 2026
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The state’s attorneys said that too was incorrect.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Thus, as a vision of our transportation system in 2050, this plan is flawed due to placing too much emphasis on freeway expansion and insufficient resources on public transit.—
Chris Roberts,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Then their postseason schedule road was made easier by facing three flawed offensive units.—
Hank Gola,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Behind the scenes, Newsom’s staff have taken a similar approach and tone, calling for the tabloid to change language in stories that the team feels is inaccurate or misleading.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
An administration official would make a claim about what happened, and later evidence would find these contentions to be misleading.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nichols and Vann concede that handing the cup with the apple juice and urine mix to Smith’s son to drink was wrong and Vann has expressed regret for that.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
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The crash involved a wrong-way driver on eastbound I-84, according to an Idaho State Police Facebook post.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inconclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inconclusive. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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