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
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
This is the cloud forest, yes, but its elevation is actually lower, so those whose adjustment in the city was sketchy tend to find relief.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Our flustered narrator attempts to defend himself on the grounds of sketchy reporting ethics—don’t some interviewers take notes and extrapolate later?
—Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sketchy
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
This is the cloud forest, yes, but its elevation is actually lower, so those whose adjustment in the city was sketchy tend to find relief.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Our flustered narrator attempts to defend himself on the grounds of sketchy reporting ethics—don’t some interviewers take notes and extrapolate later?
—Hannah Gold, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sketchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sketchy
Adjective
-
Being saddled with inadequate accounting software leads to incomplete data, reporting errors, compliance issues, duplicate records, and, eventually, the headache of moving to an entirely new platform.—
Dana Miranda,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Late or incomplete entries will be void.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
According to Archaeology Magazine, the back of the statue was left unfinished.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Leaving unfinished work on the nightstand will keep your mind racing.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The exact reasons are often left vague, and the successors to be determined, but people are leaving.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The exact reason remains vague, but some widespread cultural practice occurred across Central Europe.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether that happened is unclear.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The extent of Bryant’s actual role in Mizell’s murder has been unclear.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Smoke from the fires has drifted far beyond South Georgia, with residents in Atlanta and across the metro area reporting a strong smell of burning and hazy skies.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
North and central Georgia are also expected to see hazy skies as smoke from fires in northern Florida and southern Georgia is carried northward, according to the National Weather Service in Atlanta.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sketchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sketchy. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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