exhaustive
adjective
ex·haus·tive
ig-ˈzȯ-stiv 
: including all possibilities : thorough
conducted an exhaustive search
Examples of exhaustive in a Sentence
The list was long but not exhaustive.
after an exhaustive search of our house, we still hadn't found the cat
Recent Examples on the Web
Though this list isn’t exhaustive by any means, and not all dates have been announced, there’s plenty to start penciling into your calendar.
—
Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
This non-exhaustive list of laws, which provides parents and workers with information and guides how employees respond to federal officers, is among those passed this year, including numerous consumer protection laws.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 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
See All Example Sentences for exhaustive
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Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
This non-exhaustive list of laws, which provides parents and workers with information and guides how employees respond to federal officers, is among those passed this year, including numerous consumer protection laws.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 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
See All Example Sentences for exhaustive
Cite this Entry
“Exhaustive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhaustive. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exhaustive
adjective
ex·haus·tive
ig-ˈzȯ-stiv
: trying all possibilities : thorough
an exhaustive search
exhaustively
adverb
exhaustiveness
noun
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