1
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the many inscrutable beliefs of that ancient religion
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2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
ancient oracles typically uttered inscrutable prophecies that could be interpreted almost any way one chose
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Recent Examples of inscrutable
The Indian tourists shot us a brief and inscrutable look, smiled, and then turned their attention back to their soft drinks and mobile phones.
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Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Individually, these long numerical lists — known as embeddings — are just inscrutable chains of digits.
—John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024
Published on October 19, 2024 Sidney Guillemin Since the Royal Cork Yacht Club was formed in 1720, sailing’s members-only enclaves have enjoyed a reputation for stuffy insularity, with inscrutable traditions and prominent connections held close to the blazer crest.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2024
Where prior generations might have been in the thrall of speakeasies and inscrutable cocktail ingredients, drinkers who turned 21 during the pandemic’s upheaval want an experience with less friction.
—Kate Bernot, Bon Appétit, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inscrutable 
Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Individually, these long numerical lists — known as embeddings — are just inscrutable chains of digits.
—John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024
Published on October 19, 2024 Sidney Guillemin Since the Royal Cork Yacht Club was formed in 1720, sailing’s members-only enclaves have enjoyed a reputation for stuffy insularity, with inscrutable traditions and prominent connections held close to the blazer crest.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2024
Where prior generations might have been in the thrall of speakeasies and inscrutable cocktail ingredients, drinkers who turned 21 during the pandemic’s upheaval want an experience with less friction.
—Kate Bernot, Bon Appétit, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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The film, which sees Ash and his traveling companions Misty and Brock go to a mysterious island where they’re caught up in the ultrastrong legendary Pokémon Mewtwo’s revenge plot against the cruel world that created him, was a high-water mark for Pokémon.James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2024
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The deer, knowing by some mysterious means that his would-be slayer is a novice, stands still, looking with amusement at buck fever’s latest victim.Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The stakes in the east are enormous; the stakes in Kursk Oblast are ambiguous at best.David Axe, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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The movie’s title is ambiguous about its titular character.Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Because what Ken was doing at first was really all vibes: the all-black dress code, the grungy photography, the cryptic social media presence.Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2024
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As Gamache races to decode an unsettling break-in, a cryptic note, and a hit-and-run, a massive threat lurks.staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The episode’s host, John Mulaney, played a news junkie who was quizzed about the more obscure 2024 general-election players, such as Special Counsel Jack Smith.Amanda Wicks, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
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Six years after the 2018 Supreme Court decision that led to widespread legalization of mobile sports betting, U.S. sportsbooks dangle a variety of granular and obscure potential wagers in front of customers.Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In this enigmatic world, 39 women and one young girl are kept in an underground room guarded by armed men.Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
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While transiting this enigmatic area of your chart, opportunities for healing and spiritual growth in your relationships are near.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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An avid artist from an early age, Burton’s uncanny style of drawing is inspired by these films — along with gothic novels, expressionist paintings, holiday rituals and even the illustrations of Dr Seuss.Tacita Quinn, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
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One of her own drawings, a sort of Hansel and Gretel scenario, will also play a part in the action, which is ripe with echoes and reflections and uncanny parallels, along with dead people who might be ghosts or visions or psychological projections, or some combination thereof.Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Black eyes, dark hair, Han is blocking the exit, standing with his hands on his hips, like a big fat X.Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
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Sean getting beaten up at the end of the last episode was a dark moment, but Shrinking never lets a story stay serious for very long.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The show is a mystic library, full of places that no longer exist.Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
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This is the art of a Zen master or masterful art, the poetry of a mystic, or the grace of a selfless act of leadership.Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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