1
as in thorough
trying all possibilities
after an exhaustive search of our house, we still hadn't found the cat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in comprehensive
covering everything or all important points
an exhaustive survey of the nation's sexual habits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exhaustive
So, here is my exhaustive, definitive, and still not long enough list of 2025’s best Black film performances.
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Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
Without Warner, the 49ers defense was on the field for 64 plays, including 16 on an exhaustive final series.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Yes—and this immersive, exhaustive program from the Noiser Podcast Network aims to be as close to a definitive account of the ship as possible.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Without the ability to interview or prosecute the suspect, the motive remains the hardest question, Wackrow said, and there’s a chance investigators will not find the answers even after doing exhaustive searches of digital history and physical evidence.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exhaustive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhaustive
Adjective
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Minnesota state investigators would need to be able to conduct a thorough investigation to move forward with potential state charges against the unnamed ICE agent who fatally shot Good, according to Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson.—
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Bath toys deserve a thorough cleaning at least monthly to remove body soil and soap scum that can invite mold and mildew to form.—
Adjective
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Nominees will be put through a comprehensive and rigorous process of researching and scoring across a wide range of quantitative and qualitative criteria, including scalability, revenue and user growth, and the use of breakthrough technology.—
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In an important essay, Andrew Sullivan noted this past fall that Trump’s indecency is comprehensive in style and substance.—
Adjective
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The system comes preloaded with a vision–language–action (VLA) large model and more than 10,000 real-world data samples, enabling it to perform complex tasks without extensive setup or calibration.—
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The Denver Police Department warned that extensive road closures are in place, and all intersections surrounding the area are closed.—
Adjective
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The governor is expected to touch on some budget priorities in his speech, which will come Thursday, one day before state financial officials publish his full spending plan on Friday.—
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From long-haul flights to full days on your feet, ballerina sneakers deliver.—
Adjective
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Read on for the complete list of winners and nominees.—
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His plans are complete, and permits are moving forward.—
Cite this Entry
“Exhaustive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhaustive. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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