sketchy

adjective

Definition of sketchynext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sketchy The intensity of the elements, along with sketchy infrastructure, can make traversing Pakistan's mountains feel like a grand adventure. — Betsy Joles, NPR, 29 July 2026 This wasn’t happy news about an initial miscount but a sketchy accounting trick. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 27 July 2026 There’s little scientific data on their safety and efficacy, and the many sketchy sellers who distribute them operate with no oversight. — Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Both Dadeland Metrorail stations as well as the Douglas Road station are under extensive renovation, expansion or redevelopment, and trail connections through them are sketchy or missing altogether. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sketchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketchy
  1. incomplete
  2. unfinished
  3. vague
  4. unclear
  5. hazy
Adjective
  • This may be true, but there is also the chance that the result is based on incomplete data, and the finding is much less definitive than the AI may suggest.
    — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But, as the state investigator would later testify, the file was incomplete.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of incomplete
Adjective
  • Leaving the floor bare can make an entryway feel cold, unfinished, or like an afterthought.
    — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Choose what needs your best energy and let something less important remain unfinished.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfinished
Adjective
  • Okay, Noah is somehow a Manhunter, though how this came to be is left vague and almost intangible for much of the episode.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The law includes an exception for when a pregnant person’s life is in danger, but physicians and lawyers have said the language is vague and could be interpreted differently by different doctors and hospitals.
    — Ciara McCarthy October 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • Rappers Lucki and Playboi Carti were seen in videos posted to social media, though the cause of the fight and its participants remain unclear.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The prognosis for a Tennessee woman who survived two doses of lethal injection is still unclear, according to her lawyer, who said doctors are still trying to clear the lethal drug administered during her execution attempt.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unclear
Adjective
  • But the numbers that could give clarity on disabled kids in foster care are harder to come by — partly because of the sometimes hazy definitions of disability but also because of the failure of child welfare providers to even count them.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
  • As the show became a cultural juggernaut, some criticized its vigilante justice and the hazy line between law enforcement and journalism.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of hazy

Browse Nearby Words

sketching
sketchy
skew
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Cite this Entry

“Sketchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sketchy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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