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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of inscrutable
Spiraling, Lila becomes even more inscrutable, a witchlike figure haunting the neighborhood with the despair of her loss.
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Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Airports and agencies issue more than a million NOTAMs each year, and so pilots routinely receive a flood of inscrutable notifications before each flight.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024
The folded piece of paper in his wallet was perhaps the most pregnant and inscrutable remnant of all.
—Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Each stop gradually peels back some slight emotional layers of its somewhat inscrutable main pairing.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inscrutable 
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Airports and agencies issue more than a million NOTAMs each year, and so pilots routinely receive a flood of inscrutable notifications before each flight.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024
The folded piece of paper in his wallet was perhaps the most pregnant and inscrutable remnant of all.
—Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Each stop gradually peels back some slight emotional layers of its somewhat inscrutable main pairing.
—Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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Ashworth, 92, grew up in poverty, mostly in South Austin and East Austin during the 1930s and '40s, after his mysterious father abandoned the family.Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
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The film is Paolo Sorrentino’s love letter to Naples — his second, following 2021’s The Hand of God — and Parthenope, a mysterious, irresistible beauty, is the stand-in for the enigmatic pull the city has over him.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Sunny is the creation of Suzie’s husband, who died under ambiguous circumstances, leaving her alone in their life in Kyoto.Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2024
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To minimize misinterpretations, providing clear guidelines for writing test instructions and avoiding ambiguous phrasing is key.Asad Khan, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Watch on Deadline The film will explore the dramatic events that led O’Hagan to investigate the mysterious figure known only as Satoshi Nakamoto, and his pursuit to uncover the true identity of the cryptic inventor behind Bitcoin.Justin Kroll, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2024
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The cryptic emails would arrive just before bedtime: DON’T DELETE THIS!!Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The pair will likely stay in that obscure piece of real estate for the next 24 to 48 hours.Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
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At times, the actors spoke their lines from obscure corners of the cavernous playing area.Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Advertisement Cody Bellinger, 29, OF, Boras: The former Dodgers elite center fielder and enigmatic hitter can opt out of the last two years and $52.5 million of his three-year, $80-million contract with the Chicago Cubs.Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
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Patrick is willing to do anything to help his wife, but becomes distrustful of the retreat’s enigmatic leader even as Abigail falls under her spell.Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 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
Thesaurus Entries Near inscrutable
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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