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
The theme was inspired by science and space and the idea of artists exploring the unknown and unknowable.
—
La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025
The Great War, however, turned death into something sudden, cruel and unknowable, as young men—often barely into adulthood—were slaughtered on the front line, their deaths reported to their families days or weeks later.
—Alice Vernon
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
That the real Kelley was married during this period is never mentioned (Kelley, in many ways, is wholly unknowable to us).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
The future is unknowable, but it is guaranteed to bring more hurricanes and other large-scale challenges that must be met collectively.
—Chloe Demrovsky, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unknowable
La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025
The Great War, however, turned death into something sudden, cruel and unknowable, as young men—often barely into adulthood—were slaughtered on the front line, their deaths reported to their families days or weeks later.
—Alice Vernon
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
That the real Kelley was married during this period is never mentioned (Kelley, in many ways, is wholly unknowable to us).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
The future is unknowable, but it is guaranteed to bring more hurricanes and other large-scale challenges that must be met collectively.
—Chloe Demrovsky, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unknowable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowable
Adjective
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With stunning celerity, possibility becomes probability and then certainty, as readers reject the quiet, circuitous, and unglamorous narratives of prudential compromise, ambiguous diplomacy, or incremental progress.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Ibsen’s choice to use Hedda’s maiden name for the play speaks to her resistance to the strong presence of men in her life; DaCosta’s choice to remove the surname entirely speaks to a rejection of patriarchal identity, replaced with an ambiguous void that Hedda herself doesn’t know how to fill.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As if dark energy weren't already mysterious and baffling enough, new research suggests that this unknown force may not be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating rate anymore.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The goddess planet knows the art of seduction, but when transiting Scorpio, her sweetness is equally seductive and mysterious.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Pacino stars as the enigmatic titular figure, described as part muse, part ghost of cinema past.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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João Pessoa João Pessoa, the capital of the state of Paraíba, is an enigmatic coastal metropolis.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Add to that list Inhotim, a sprawling and relatively obscure contemporary art collection in the jungle of the state of Minas Gerais that surpasses any notion of what a museum can be.—
William O'Connor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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At the moment, its age is still uncertain.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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How Barton will advance his campaigns now is uncertain.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Velardo’s whereabouts were murky when he was charged in the two investigations in March, 2013.—
Karen Wang,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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But when the two leading figures behind the coup – RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in charge of the SAF – began fighting each other, the foreign powers had to choose whom to support – and their involvement became even murkier.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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How travel insurance policies will be impacted by the shutdown is unclear.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
7 Nov. 2025
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The origin of the videos are unclear.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowable. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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