1
as in approximate
not precisely correct
a thousand is an inexact figure for the number of islands in the St. Lawrence River
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true
an inexact and misleading statement regarding the number of combat casualties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inexact
Kikuchi and Imai are an inexact comparison.
—
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The movie devolves into something inexact and thoughtless, without anything distinct to recenter it.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
The film stages its riot of activity as hard-nosed honesty, but its portrait is ultimately as ginned-up and inexact as the fictional news broadcast’s lurid prying.
—Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inexact
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The movie devolves into something inexact and thoughtless, without anything distinct to recenter it.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
The film stages its riot of activity as hard-nosed honesty, but its portrait is ultimately as ginned-up and inexact as the fictional news broadcast’s lurid prying.
—Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inexact
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inexact
Adjective
-
For example, the 11% increase in wages found in the study is below that approximate 25% leap in California’s $16 wage prior to the 2024 law.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Using flying distance, an approximate 400-mile trip became a 3,550-mile journey.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When the news breaks of faraway civilian casualties — an erroneous air strike on a school that relied on outdated intelligence, for example — the mind takes refuge in abstractions and statistics.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
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But those who in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made erroneous predictions of imminent mass starvation erred by underestimating the world‑changing potential of grasses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The rollout, however, was quickly met with user complaints of inaccurate age estimations and workarounds found by users hoping to trick the system.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
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Testing failure Another error highlighted in the report involved recording inaccurate test results in September 2024 for a liver that tested positive for a common infection that can be deadly for people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant patients.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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County officials also said Freidenrich’s management of the treasurer’s office led to delays in issuing refunds to schools, filing tax liens and cashing property tax checks, which resulted in incorrect late fees and penalties for taxpayers.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
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Any assertion that city single-family homeowners are being double taxed would be incorrect.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Now 43-38, Charlotte has lost ground this week with difficult losses to Boston and Detroit that followed the same blueprint, as the Hornets fell off a cliff in the fourth quarter at the wrong time.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
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Overfertilizing Fertilizing too much or at the wrong time could potentially damage plant roots, leading to leaf damage and eventual drop.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rare diseases are by nature less familiar to health care providers, which means patients often endure long periods of misdiagnosis, imprecise treatments, and extensive testing.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
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Knee replacement surgery used to require a surgeon to manually saw bone — an inherently imprecise process.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inexact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inexact. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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