as in ambiguous
not able to be known
No matter how far science advances, some things about the world will always remain unknown and unknowable. If passed, this law will have unknowable consequences.
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Recent Examples of unknowable
These are unknowable and can be answered only by someone with a time machine.
—
Mike Isaac, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
To Vulcan, avoiding unknowable businesses isn’t being conservative.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
At the heart of every biography, though, lies a lacuna—something unknowable, no matter how candid or heavily documented the subject, no matter how familiar or diligent the biographer.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Remarkably, the creature is only slightly more unknowable than the film’s fascinatingly opaque main character.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unknowable
Mike Isaac, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
To Vulcan, avoiding unknowable businesses isn’t being conservative.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
At the heart of every biography, though, lies a lacuna—something unknowable, no matter how candid or heavily documented the subject, no matter how familiar or diligent the biographer.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Remarkably, the creature is only slightly more unknowable than the film’s fascinatingly opaque main character.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unknowable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowable
Adjective
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The inconsistency of the geographical settings goes hand in hand with the how their American protagonists are depicted as inept operators whose heroism is ambiguous Soon after his arrival in Saigon, Andrews mistakes an advertisement for a dubious massage parlor as a clue from a local contact.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2025
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That’s negativity bias in action—the cognitive reflex to prioritize potential threats over neutral or positive cues, especially when the situation is ambiguous.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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The story in the graphic novel picks up 10 years after the events of the eponymous 1980 movie, as Joliet Jake disappears from prison under mysterious circumstances.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
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All do so, apart from the titular madman, who has a mysterious reason to stay behind.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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This obscure law vested NOAA with the authority to issue permits for mining beyond American jurisdiction until an international regime was put in place.—
Time,
Time,
17 June 2025
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That Davis exhibited but ultimately painted over the other two works in his geometric series might suggest some dissatisfaction with their admittedly obscure nature.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Or, is this high-profile loss, and others of recent vintage, for the middle lane of the Democratic Party due more to poor centrist standard-bearers (and enigmatic extremists) rather than the actual political positions themselves?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
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Outside of the players, the series did leave several survivors, including the game’s enigmatic overseer, The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who ended his time on the series by tracking down Gi-hun’s estranged daughter, Ga-yeong (Jo Ah-in), in Los Angeles.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Iran’s brief but brutal war with Israel has left its theocratic regime facing an uncertain future.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
25 June 2025
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Now in private practice as co-head of Morrison Foerster’s Securities + Derivatives Regulatory Solutions team and a partner in the firm’s Capital Markets and Broker-Dealer Compliance + Regulation practice groups, Dahiya is in a unique position to help clients navigate complex and uncertain terrain.—
Liane Jackson,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The questions, though, are a bit different this offseason, as Toronto’s optimal path forward is pretty murky, and any mistakes management makes in the next few weeks will only compound their issues.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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The highlighting reticles for discoverables are thankfully forgiving — ideal for the murky depths that would otherwise hide them.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Also, a lamppost at the northwest corner of the pier was secured by yellow caution tape in the days before the fire for reasons that were unclear in the report.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
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The assessment of the degree of damage underground in Fordo is unclear, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi told CNN's Fareed Zakaria on Sunday.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowable. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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