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
Intentional exclusivity These ads are meant to be inscrutable to most passersby.
—
Chloe Veltman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
Gimlin, his neighbor and onetime friend — and perhaps the doc’s most charismatic and inscrutable subject — stopped speaking to him.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
While others have shared my friend’s experience, a variety of factors—water temperature, visibility, the inscrutable whims of these mysterious creatures—can make spotting them a challenge.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
The Cast Paints a Picture Several former SNL cast members weigh in during the trailer, and their comments sketch a portrait of a boss who is equal parts revered and inscrutable.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Chloe Veltman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
Gimlin, his neighbor and onetime friend — and perhaps the doc’s most charismatic and inscrutable subject — stopped speaking to him.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
While others have shared my friend’s experience, a variety of factors—water temperature, visibility, the inscrutable whims of these mysterious creatures—can make spotting them a challenge.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
The Cast Paints a Picture Several former SNL cast members weigh in during the trailer, and their comments sketch a portrait of a boss who is equal parts revered and inscrutable.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inscrutable
Adjective
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But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, Ally’s peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger and is thrust into a journey real-life marine creatures as the film explores themes of friendship and courage.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Last House is about a family of four who are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat keeping them trapped.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The problem with the exhibition is not the works of art on view, but its ambiguous premise, its unwillingness to define its terms and approach the Lost Cause with historical clarity.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
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The services can analyze all sorts of things, from the specific — such as a hotel bill that exceeded a preset limit — to the more ambiguous, such as whether a lawyer’s description of a task was too vague to be worthy of payment.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But even in its most opposing moments, from its depths of disintegration to its peaks of pattern-building, Spirals/Viral has a cryptic unity.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
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George traces mentalism back to the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece, who purported to deliver divine — and cryptic — messages from Apollo.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The movie is available on YouTube, while the original documentary has been taken off HBO's streaming services until 2029 due to an obscure non-disparagement clause contained within a deal the premium cable service made with Jackson in 1992, as Reed told Variety.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Human ears couldn't possibly distinguish the names of obscure songs in one bar's music round.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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More often those concert performances help pump up a flashy, superficial look at an enigmatic artist whose closest connections were of the animal variety (Bubbles gets screen time; ditto a giraffe, a llama and a big snake).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Decades later, however, the origin story of these carbon spheres remains enigmatic.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But what exactly happens to these baby stars next isn't always clear (literally) because they are buried deep within clouds of dark, dusty gas that obscure them.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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All the bedrooms can be found upstairs, including one that’s currently being used as an office and a primary suite flaunting dual dressing rooms and baths, plus a sauna clad in dark gray stone.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
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Cameras now deploy ever higher frame rates, as seen in the uncanny sheen of blockbusters by James Cameron and Peter Jackson, and films are shot, shown, and restored on ever higher resolutions (4K, 8K, and beyond).—
Dennis Lim,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inscrutable. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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