as in incomplete
not complete or clear or having a lot of details
His memory of the incident was sketchy. Details are still sketchy, but there are rumors that next year's model will be completely redesigned.
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Recent Examples of sketchy
Models had their hair improperly treated, their physical boundaries crossed, and one even had her teeth removed by a sketchy dentist for purely cosmetic reasons.
—
Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Staying safe no longer means avoiding sketchy-looking apps.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Numbers are sketchy, but it’s estimated that Cisitalia produced only about 153 coupes and 17 convertibles comprising the 202 model.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2026
Tenants had formed an association at a building on Martense Street, at a then-sketchy corner.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sketchy
Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Staying safe no longer means avoiding sketchy-looking apps.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Numbers are sketchy, but it’s estimated that Cisitalia produced only about 153 coupes and 17 convertibles comprising the 202 model.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2026
Tenants had formed an association at a building on Martense Street, at a then-sketchy corner.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sketchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketchy
Adjective
-
These fires result in incomplete combustion, releasing a toxic slurry of carbon monoxide, soot, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides that can form acid rain, along with metallic compounds and oil droplets.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The county’s engineering department said in early January that the application was incomplete and required additional information.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As of April 2023, the hotel is in a soft-opening phase, with many of the public spaces unfinished.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
-
His scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment tears the unfinished mate limb from limb as the creature watches on in horror.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The title Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is pretty vague, and the new trailer doesn’t clear much up.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This implies regime change, yet the administration’s ambitions have in fact been vague and inconsistent.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The increase is driven by panic over the unclear plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Reports are unclear about who else was in the house at the time this took place.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the plumes reached Western Europe, residents reported hazy skies in southern England and the Swiss and Italian Alps.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Cut yourself some slack at work today because there is a Moon Alert all day, which makes things hazy and indecisive.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sketchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sketchy. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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