as in acidic
very clear and direct
She provided an incisive analysis that changed my entire opinion on the issue.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incisive
That quote has been revisited often — including in The Athletic’s incisive November look at his failure to get close in three seasons with the Tigers — but now?
—
Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
All the better to zero in on detailed character sketches and incisive plot lines that should be the envy of most fiction novelists.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
Aaron Brown, an anchor who earned widespread praise for incisive reporting and calm demeanor during CNN‘s coverage of 9/11, has died.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2024
Black in Blues ties the experiences of Black Americans to the color in an incisive, accessible narrative.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incisive 
Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
All the better to zero in on detailed character sketches and incisive plot lines that should be the envy of most fiction novelists.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
Aaron Brown, an anchor who earned widespread praise for incisive reporting and calm demeanor during CNN‘s coverage of 9/11, has died.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2024
Black in Blues ties the experiences of Black Americans to the color in an incisive, accessible narrative.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incisive
Adjective
-
Plant the carrot seed in deep, loose soil free of rocks with a slightly acidic pH. Instead of putting carrot plants where other members of the carrot family grew or are growing, consider placing it near a sage plant (a good companion for preventing carrot rust flies).—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2025
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Bittersweet chocolate provides a pronounced bitter and even slightly acidic flavor.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even perennials have varying soil needs: some prefer more acid or more alkaline soil, or prefer a wet site or a dry one.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
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Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the CDC. ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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On paper, Bridget can be compellingly hard to pin down, inconstant and ironic, messily self-aware, undeniably human.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Trump’s decision to negotiate with Maduro, sidestepping Venezuela’s opposition, is equally ironic.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Another area of potential improvement is customization to align with a provider's writing style — concise versus verbose — or way of thinking.—
Erin Brodwin,
Axios,
3 Feb. 2025
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Grab an Excel spreadsheet and create a concise budget that includes savings.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Well known for his thoughtful fictional treatments of British history, Boyd combines measured twists with a trenchant reconsideration of the legacy of Cold War-era interventionism.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
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The film’s most trenchant scenes involve Gere in states of repose or regret or nostalgia, especially when psychically disarrayed in a chair with a camera facing toward him, wondering what, for example, desire smells like.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Singer Anthony Kiedis said the reunion helped the band tap into something poignant and honest, instead of telling the same old stories.—
Shaun Fabos,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
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Kate Middleton is making a poignant visit to a children's hospice in Wales that had close links to another Princess of Wales before her.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The old-school formality of the costumes—women in dresses, men with ties—is counterbalanced by the flamboyance of their colors: flaming red, screeching green, lavish blue, acerbic yellow, judgmental white, which inflect the action’s moods and set its tones.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2025
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In order to stay, the mild-mannered young man takes a job assisting Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), an eccentric and acerbic artist who promises to sponsor him for a green card.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The movie follows sardonic Indian American podcast host Vinita Malhotra (Kiran Deol) through romantic and familial reunions as her show celebrates its 100th episode.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2025
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Frustrated by the surge of callers asking them to listen to demo tapes, the group recreated these messages for the song’s intro and outro, and turned their answering machine’s greeting into its sardonic refrain.—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
28 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Incisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incisive. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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