1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the many inscrutable beliefs of that ancient religion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inscrutable
As the show’s most inscrutable characters, Cassie and Nate’s relationship is built on their individual desires to be taken seriously.
—
Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Colossal heads, with luminous faces – intense and inscrutable – line the walls of Jenny Saville's studio in Oxford, England.
—Elizabeth Palmer, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Don’t be pointlessly inscrutable.
—Kim Scott, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Brahms’ shifting rhythms are dreamlike and inscrutable, and Tetzloff handled them with care.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Colossal heads, with luminous faces – intense and inscrutable – line the walls of Jenny Saville's studio in Oxford, England.
—Elizabeth Palmer, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Don’t be pointlessly inscrutable.
—Kim Scott, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Brahms’ shifting rhythms are dreamlike and inscrutable, and Tetzloff handled them with care.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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The pilot episode’s cold open showed Edward’s (now-deceased) wife, Grace (Dee Wallace), being attacked by a mysterious, spindly creature in the middle of the night.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2026
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The love letter element is also particularly special for BTS and ARMY, as the entire Arirang campaign initially kicked off with BTS asking fans #WhatIsYourLoveSong in a mysterious, global campaign — a love that continues to this day.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
The entity known as Mother is left ambiguous, as is the tree inside the Cave of Wonders, but there are hints to their true nature.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
If a serious spending-reduction effort were somehow mounted anyway, the result would likely be positive for bonds — but ambiguous for equities, since the economic drag could easily outweigh the benefit of lower interest rates.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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No recent performance of Hiller’s looms as large, though, as his warmly cryptic episodic turn on Pluribus as Larry the friendly biker (complete with fabulous bike shorts).—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
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Armed with an adventure kit, participants are summoned to a secret location where they’re tasked with deciphering cryptic codes, uncovering hidden symbols, navigating shifting alliances and outwit enemies and operatives stationed around the campus.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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In an interview Wednesday, Shah said memorization was important, especially for quirky words with obscure origins.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
-
Systems that obscure reasoning tend to expose clinicians, not protect them.—
Marc Serota,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Herzog, known for his enigmatic films and single-minded commitment to achieving the impossible (pulling a boat over a mountain, for one) found a worthy artistic partner in the square-jawed, demonically charming, bug-eyed Klaus Kinski.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 May 2026
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In a three-and-a-half-hour duel, with all the bizarre twists, dips and flips that Medvedev’s opening matches at Roland Garros are famous for, Walton registered a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 win with a scoreline as enigmatic as the man who landed on the short end of it.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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In the second, highly lethal variant of the Black Death, patients typically exhibited no initial symptoms, such as the onset of a fever or the appearance of buboes, but instead would suddenly begin to vomit up blood (that was usually dark in color) and typically died soon thereafter.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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The nose combines campfire smoke, toasted coconut, and sea spray with vanilla fudge and dark sugar.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Operation Iraqi Freedom remains lodged like an uncanny monument in the middle of every sentence spoken here.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
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The Sooners’ uncanny postseason successes leave many baffled.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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