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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inscrutable
Cal had his own secrets (Marsden appears in copious flashbacks), and then there’s the inscrutable Samantha (Julianne Nicholson), another powerful figure who steps up after the President’s death.
—
Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2025
All the while, the heroic couple was dogged by not just a team of lovebird assassins, but an inscrutable bunch of White House bigwigs.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 21 Jan. 2025
Still, there was something graphically alluring about Cyrillic, a blocky alphabet that was inscrutable to American shoppers.
—Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The Clemson infield, for some inscrutable reason, starts dancing.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for inscrutable 
Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2025
All the while, the heroic couple was dogged by not just a team of lovebird assassins, but an inscrutable bunch of White House bigwigs.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 21 Jan. 2025
Still, there was something graphically alluring about Cyrillic, a blocky alphabet that was inscrutable to American shoppers.
—Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The Clemson infield, for some inscrutable reason, starts dancing.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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Beyond mysterious Gathering new data about Venus is vital, Garvin pointed out, so that the next wave of exploration is grounded in what must be done first as scientists attempt to further reveal our sister world.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2025
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That gusher of findings will include new observations of exoplanets—or planets orbiting other stars; new surveys of the structure of the Milky Way; and new studies of dark energy, the mysterious, invisible force that causes the universe to expand continuously at an ever-accelerating rate.—
Jeffrey Kluger/Greenbelt,
TIME,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Their reasoning is ambiguous and the move is likely to put moderate Republicans facing reelection in swing districts in an uncomfortable position.—
Lee Hamilton,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Executive orders have nearly always been legally ambiguous.—
Meredith Conroy,
ABC News,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But the child’s uncle departed with a cryptic comment when he was told how happy his brother’s family had appeared to their neighbors.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2025
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In a statement posted to X, Ravenel hinted at his intentions and shared a cryptic message for his opponents.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Customers can make an appointment to browse the merchandise, including furniture, jewelry, silver, and obscure objects from around the globe, before placing their bids in the auctions, which are held exclusively online.—
Frances MacDougall,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2025
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Players carry fake guns – such as water pistols – while concealing their identities and running through areas and hiding in obscure places.—
Julia Bonavita,
Fox News,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But Hujar is an enigmatic figure and a biographical portrayal wasn’t exactly on the cards.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
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Hot Milk is spare, rigorously structured but enigmatic, with a shocking ending that could fuel weeks of argument.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Du Maurier makes good use of many of the usual tropes of the Gothic genre, especially uncanny doubling: Relentlessly and unfavorably compared to the Manderley estate’s bewitching former mistress, the nameless narrator is pushed to the brink of sanity by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
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Those retouching features can look uncanny, though, and are processor-intensive.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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From Walgreens and Red Lobster to Big Lots and Family Dollar, hundreds of retail locations went dark as part of an ongoing, years-long trend oft attributed to the ongoing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of online shopping.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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Without robust funding, some labs will simply go dark.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Founded on the ethos of art as a form of mystic healing, the label reimagines the family heirloom—and invites its patrons to examine their relationship with objects.—
Nia Shumake,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
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Healy Lake members have long considered their dogs to be mystic companions, according to Combs.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near inscrutable
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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