as in inconsistent
not being in agreement or harmony
the two plans are mutually exclusive; implementing one will automatically rule out the other
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Recent Examples of mutually exclusive
There's a common belief that space science (or science in general) and religiosity are mutually exclusive.
—
Jessica Rendall, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Despite industry-wide hand-wringing over the rise of streaming, watching a movie at home and seeing a movie in the theater are not mutually exclusive experiences.
—Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
And that ambition and patience do not have to be mutually exclusive.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Musk and Bezos have different ideas of what humans’ future in space should look like, and their visions are not mutually exclusive.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mutually exclusive
Jessica Rendall, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Despite industry-wide hand-wringing over the rise of streaming, watching a movie at home and seeing a movie in the theater are not mutually exclusive experiences.
—Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
And that ambition and patience do not have to be mutually exclusive.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Musk and Bezos have different ideas of what humans’ future in space should look like, and their visions are not mutually exclusive.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mutually exclusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mutually exclusive
Adjective
-
The company says the system aims to tackle persistent challenges in the hospitality industry, including labor shortages, inconsistent drink quality, and long service times.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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In some cases, CBS News ran images through AI detection tools, which can be inconsistent or inaccurate but can still help flag possibly manipulated content.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But as was proven later, in conflicting accounts like the ones here, the Band didn’t quite go quietly into that night.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
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After giving birth to him, she’s overwhelmed by irreconcilably conflicting emotions—Javed is at once her own flesh, and an embodiment of his father’s actions.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mutually exclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutually%20exclusive. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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