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
Yet there’s very little drama in Gowin’s pictures, and any plot is sketchy or buried.
—
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
This is coming from a mega-billionaire who has a pretty sketchy history himself.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026
From a rough boat ride in Mozambique to a downpour in Poland, this water-resistant backpack with more than 12,666 five-star ratings on Amazon has kept my valuables dry in some pretty sketchy situations.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2026
Michigan’s depth is a bit sketchy, especially at guard.
—The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sketchy
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
This is coming from a mega-billionaire who has a pretty sketchy history himself.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026
From a rough boat ride in Mozambique to a downpour in Poland, this water-resistant backpack with more than 12,666 five-star ratings on Amazon has kept my valuables dry in some pretty sketchy situations.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2026
Michigan’s depth is a bit sketchy, especially at guard.
—The Athletic College Basketball Staff, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sketchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketchy
Adjective
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Africa is full of people who ask each other for product recommendations in WhatsApp groups or comment sections because the options online can often be incomplete or difficult to verify.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
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Yet with the tool’s skyrocketing popularity, some experts worry about potential hallucinations or incomplete answers, the potential for doctors’ critical thinking skills to erode and more.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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But that album struck me as fussy, unfinished, soft somehow.—
Dan Kois,
Pitchfork,
17 May 2026
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Construction at the site has remained unfinished since mid-2023, with an arbitration panel ruling in October 2025 to set a future hearing date for litigation for this September.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Two Chinese defense companies have issued vague statements that together point to a possible new long-distance shooting record, although neither has provided technical specifications or independently verifiable data.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
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Teenagers often respond better to concrete information than vague warnings.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Whether that includes home acquisition is unclear.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
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Home or family dynamics could also feel emotionally messy or unclear.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
But its geological origins are hazy.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Even if my archive was unverifiable or incongruous, the hazy, contradictory landscape of Goodman’s life was the truth of her existence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sketchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sketchy. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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