1
as in surreal
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2
as in incomprehensible
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Recent Examples of Kafkaesque
Obtaining a permit to fly a drone in Nepal as a foreigner was a somewhat Kafkaesque exercise in patience.
—
Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 6 May 2025
These are intentional Kafkaesque problems that the Trump Administration is creating.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025
No one wants to have their family vacation turned into some Kafkaesque nightmare at the hands of ICE agents emboldened by the country's general climate of incipient fascism.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
That standard was used to suppress the speech of faculty, such as Northwestern professor Laura Kipnis, who in a Kafkaesque turn was the subject of a legal complaint by students under Title IX for writing an op-ed column criticizing the Obama view of Title IX.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2025
In a particularly Kafkaesque explanation for why some of the Venezuelan migrants who have no criminal records were targeted for arrest and deportation, government lawyers argued in court that their lack of a criminal record is in itself cause for concern.
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
But Ned was declared dead last month by the Social Security Administration, which led him and his wife on a Kafkaesque quest to prove there’s life left in this salty old Seattle seadog yet.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
This Kafkaesque saga began late Friday, when President Donald Trump quietly signed an order availing himself of a wartime authority to carry out the mass deportations.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
This defiant and entertaining work playfully uses headshots and avatars to visualize clandestine audio recordings documenting years of Kafkaesque impositions, threats, and vital dissident art.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 6 May 2025
These are intentional Kafkaesque problems that the Trump Administration is creating.
—Grace Byron, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025
No one wants to have their family vacation turned into some Kafkaesque nightmare at the hands of ICE agents emboldened by the country's general climate of incipient fascism.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
That standard was used to suppress the speech of faculty, such as Northwestern professor Laura Kipnis, who in a Kafkaesque turn was the subject of a legal complaint by students under Title IX for writing an op-ed column criticizing the Obama view of Title IX.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2025
In a particularly Kafkaesque explanation for why some of the Venezuelan migrants who have no criminal records were targeted for arrest and deportation, government lawyers argued in court that their lack of a criminal record is in itself cause for concern.
—Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
But Ned was declared dead last month by the Social Security Administration, which led him and his wife on a Kafkaesque quest to prove there’s life left in this salty old Seattle seadog yet.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
This Kafkaesque saga began late Friday, when President Donald Trump quietly signed an order availing himself of a wartime authority to carry out the mass deportations.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
This defiant and entertaining work playfully uses headshots and avatars to visualize clandestine audio recordings documenting years of Kafkaesque impositions, threats, and vital dissident art.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Kafkaesque
Adjective
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Cast: Josh Gates Genre: Documentary Rating: TV-14 Pee-Wee As Himself (May 23) Paul Reubens was one of the purest creative minds of his generation, coming from the underground theater scene with Pee-Wee Herman, a capricious manchild who lived in a surreal world of puppets and playthings.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
16 May 2025
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One surreal instant later, Allan Houston put down a forceful dribble, curled around Dan Majerle as tightly as a stripe on a candy cane and discovered a shaft of light.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Given the incomprehensible thought of an empty beach on the island of Hawaii (and nationwide), surely the movie's effect on viewers was impactful.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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Honestly, whoever designed this mind-numbing, incomprehensible plan should be banished to an island where they will hopefully be devoured by wildlife.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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In that respect, Alonso is not necessarily unusual.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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If anything seems unusual, trust your instincts and stop the communication immediately.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Popular enough where Reacher is currently the #1 show a full month and a half after season 3 ended, and slid down the list eventually before this inexplicable resurgence.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
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Bebe Zahara Benet delivered pure magic (with a dose of madness) in her inexplicable yet massively memorable and instantly meme-able verse.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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After a 14-year break, the Final Destination franchise returns with another installment sure to inspire a host of new irrational fears.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
16 May 2025
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Free agency is in the distant past, the NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror and, barring any major swerves, many fans are piecing team depth charts together with irrational confidence while anxiously waiting for Wednesday’s schedule release.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Zendaya is something of a style icon, known for her bold, distinctive outfits, but TikTokers reckon that the Dune star is hiding an unfathomable secret inside her oversized hat.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
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The expansion of the loophole for tariff-free shipments of goods nearly a decade ago gave rise to Temu, Shein and other low-cost online retailers offering items straight from Chinese factories at unfathomable discounts.—
Daisuke Wakabayashi,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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Pike’s stairs, however, are an M.C. Esher–esque illogical maze, full of steep drop-offs and impossible turns.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2025
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Instead—and this has been reported throughout the process of people trying to preorder a Nintendo Switch 2—individuals go through a confusing and seemingly illogical experience.—
Callum Booth,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Franklin’s script just doesn’t find an emotional center among so many stock, under-articulated strands, though that may be partly due to thick accents rendering some dialogue unintelligible to American ears.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2025
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But wait: That angry voice seems to grow louder, if still unintelligible — and is now joined by the murmuring of others.—
John Hanc,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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