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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inscrutable
My personal favorites are the more inscrutable pieces like the Black Cat Tips mural on Charlotte Avenue.
—
Adam Tamburin, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025
Shout out to Armisen for his inscrutable Eastern European staccato accent as Welk, and to Anne Hathaway as the ideal lead of this sister act.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
The numbers were completely opaque and inscrutable to human eyes.
—Billy Perrigo, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
But his expression is inscrutable.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Adam Tamburin, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025
Shout out to Armisen for his inscrutable Eastern European staccato accent as Welk, and to Anne Hathaway as the ideal lead of this sister act.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
The numbers were completely opaque and inscrutable to human eyes.
—Billy Perrigo, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
But his expression is inscrutable.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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Apart is on its way — and has quite the mysterious cover to match.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
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The film follows a teenage girl who partners with a mysterious robot and an eccentric grifter to find her brother in a dystopian future.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Religion is the topic most likely to cause offense in India today, though the code is ambiguous on this point too.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
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One thing that is not ambiguous is that the spirit is drawing Mia into its world a little at a time.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Generally, when a player makes a cryptic social media post ...—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Apr. 2025
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Pittsburgh Steelers four-time All-pro defensive end T.J. Watt had a cryptic post on his Instagram account that had the NFL world in a social media frenzy.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The third book currently in production is known as The Black Book, a collection of unmade inventions sourced from obscure patents filed all over the world; a fascinating ode to the limitless power of the human imagination.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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The Republicans are expected to move the legislation on an obscure procedural track, known as reconciliation, which prevents the minority Democrats from blocking the package with a filibuster in the upper chamber.—
Mychael Schnell,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The actor, who has built a career playing deliciously inscrutable villains, stars as Alfred Moretti, an enigmatic pop icon who, after decades out of the spotlight, re-emerges to announce the release of a new album.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
12 Mar. 2025
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Led by the enigmatic Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and accompanied by the shadowy operative Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), Kate is thrust into a brutal and morally murky world where the lines between justice and lawlessness blur.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For example, Cindy Bi, has developed a reputation for her uncanny ability to spot unicorns early, backing 14 billion dollar companies, 12 of them from seed stage.—
Dasha Shunina,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Green Day has the uncanny ability to make every song sound like a hit, regardless of its initial impact.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Editor’s tip: Niacinamide is a multitasker that blurs the look of dark spots, evens your skin tone, and balances your complexion.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
15 Apr. 2025
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And so by some sociologists, camp is thought to be this form of dark humor serving as a coping mechanism to historical marginalization.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Those attributed to Jesus—described in language nearly identical to accounts of the Greek mystic and holy man Apollonius of Tyana, say—are neither more nor less convincing than others.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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