as in incomprehensible
impossible to understand
advanced scientific theories of ungraspable complexity for the layperson
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Recent Examples of ungraspable
To me, the self becomes a shifting monument, a territoire in perpetual metamorphosis, alive, fluid, and ungraspable.
—
Mame-Diarra Niang, Artforum, 2 Nov. 2025
Its scope is gargantuan and ungraspable, and as such, the appropriate level of grief does not seem human in scale.
—Literary Hub, 21 July 2025
Paul’s attachments are ungraspable, transient, and forever underwritten by raw desire.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 27 Jan. 2025
One gazes into the geographical expanse of this place to try to grasp the ungraspable scale of things.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 5 Jan. 2023
It’s a megagenre, something the poet-philosopher Timothy Morton might call a hyperobject, ungraspable in its ubiquity and scale.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2022
The scope of something inexpressible, a mammoth, ungraspable intimation, had overtaken him.
—Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2021
The ecological relationships that Darwin brings to our attention tell us of a world of bonds much more complex and ungraspable than had ever previously been supposed.
—Longreads, 23 Mar. 2021
Eraserhead was so ungraspable, so far into left field, that most critics dismissed it at the time.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Mame-Diarra Niang, Artforum, 2 Nov. 2025
Its scope is gargantuan and ungraspable, and as such, the appropriate level of grief does not seem human in scale.
—Literary Hub, 21 July 2025
Paul’s attachments are ungraspable, transient, and forever underwritten by raw desire.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 27 Jan. 2025
One gazes into the geographical expanse of this place to try to grasp the ungraspable scale of things.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 5 Jan. 2023
It’s a megagenre, something the poet-philosopher Timothy Morton might call a hyperobject, ungraspable in its ubiquity and scale.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2022
The scope of something inexpressible, a mammoth, ungraspable intimation, had overtaken him.
—Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2021
The ecological relationships that Darwin brings to our attention tell us of a world of bonds much more complex and ungraspable than had ever previously been supposed.
—Longreads, 23 Mar. 2021
Eraserhead was so ungraspable, so far into left field, that most critics dismissed it at the time.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungraspable
Adjective
-
The crime thriller featured Benicio Del Toro’s breakout role as the incomprehensible low-level criminal Fred Fenster.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
-
This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Massie’s comments shined a new spotlight on Les Wexner, the former owner of Victoria’s Secret, who is one of the most mysterious figures in Epstein’s orbit – a key player in helping the financier’s rise to extreme wealth, whose motivations and ties to Epstein have long been a source of speculation.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The parades are organized by elite and mysterious krewes that spend months preparing for the holiday, decorating their floats and selecting those who get to ride on them.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The beads are increasingly viewed as a problem, but a Mardi Gras without beads also seems unfathomable.—
TRAVIS LOLLER,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Losing to the United States and Russia was one thing, but losing to Slovenia, a tiny nation with just one NHL player on the roster, was almost unfathomable.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But wow, the resemblance is uncanny!—
Fleurine Tideman,
Glamour,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Aivwis Angry Mama Microwave Oven Steam Cleaner Microwaves have an uncanny way of getting gross quickly, and cleaning can be a real drag.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite being grouped together under the Miao umbrella, the four groups have little in common today, and their languages are different enough as to be unintelligible between groups.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Transcribers often complained that the wax recordings were unintelligible—dictators needed to speak directly into the speaking tube, loudly, clearly, and at an appropriate pace, but many did not.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Blogs, tweets, and podcasts bypass traditional gatekeepers, bringing a wider array of voices into literary spaces that once seemed impenetrable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
For decades, Silicon Valley has maintained a nearly impenetrable legal perimeter in the form of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 law that allows tech companies to avoid legal responsibility for what its users post.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Neighbors shares a cinematic style with esoteric filmmakers such as The History of Concrete’s John Wilson, and Lance Oppenheim, who is behind docs such as Some Kind of Heaven and Ren Faire.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Lightwall can tell you its name, who created it and answer more esoteric questions about its purpose.—
Greg Mellen,
Oc Register,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Here's a breakdown of the somewhat confusing chain of events from this week.—
Hannah Hudnall,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Feb. 2026
-
What’s confusing is that Kevan is so confused to be stood up.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ungraspable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungraspable. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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