1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the many inscrutable beliefs of that ancient religion
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inscrutable
Climate fiction is one reason ‘dystopian realism’ is increasingly ‘near-future’ rather than set in some inscrutable distant time.
—
Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
When the children’s bus reached the checkpoint to enter Israel, a soldier told the teacher that Khaled was barred from entering, an inscrutable dictate of the authorities.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
The explanations from the front office are sometimes the most inscrutable part.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Convincingly portraying a woman who regains her dignity in her quest to follow in her father’s footsteps, Hart’s performance of inscrutable sacrifice balances a regal confidence with the uneasiness of someone in perpetual survival mode.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
When the children’s bus reached the checkpoint to enter Israel, a soldier told the teacher that Khaled was barred from entering, an inscrutable dictate of the authorities.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
The explanations from the front office are sometimes the most inscrutable part.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Convincingly portraying a woman who regains her dignity in her quest to follow in her father’s footsteps, Hart’s performance of inscrutable sacrifice balances a regal confidence with the uneasiness of someone in perpetual survival mode.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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As if dark energy weren't already mysterious and baffling enough, new research suggests that this unknown force may not be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating rate anymore.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The goddess planet knows the art of seduction, but when transiting Scorpio, her sweetness is equally seductive and mysterious.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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With stunning celerity, possibility becomes probability and then certainty, as readers reject the quiet, circuitous, and unglamorous narratives of prudential compromise, ambiguous diplomacy, or incremental progress.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Ibsen’s choice to use Hedda’s maiden name for the play speaks to her resistance to the strong presence of men in her life; DaCosta’s choice to remove the surname entirely speaks to a rejection of patriarchal identity, replaced with an ambiguous void that Hedda herself doesn’t know how to fill.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In recent weeks, fans expressed concern after Spears posted dancing videos but opted to turn off comments on posts that had cryptic captions about her kids, Jayden James, 19, and Sean Preston, 20.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dropped a cryptic hint that a blockbuster trade was coming, and after the team acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals, many fans and analysts criticized Jones for overdelivering.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Add to that list Inhotim, a sprawling and relatively obscure contemporary art collection in the jungle of the state of Minas Gerais that surpasses any notion of what a museum can be.—
William O'Connor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Pacino stars as the enigmatic titular figure, described as part muse, part ghost of cinema past.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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João Pessoa João Pessoa, the capital of the state of Paraíba, is an enigmatic coastal metropolis.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos were looked at by many across the NFL as a dark-horse Super Bowl contender before the season started.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Sor Juana’s verses confirm that venturing into the dating pool is always like stepping into a dark abyss.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Heeler family home is recreated in uncanny detail—from Bandit’s armchair to the backyard barbecue—with interactive games (led by a cheeky garden gnome named Rhonda), music, and secret nooks that delight kids and grown-ups.—
Alli Forde,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
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Working with rosters that were far from flawless, Bochy demonstrated an uncanny ability to push the right buttons and put players in positions to succeed.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Helena, meanwhile, was supposedly a mystic receiving directions from spiritual masters hidden in the Himalayas.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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This was the danger Madison considered — that mystic memory would falsely elevate the Constitution.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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