Definition of illegiblenext
as in unreadable
incapable of being read or deciphered illegible signatures on the petition will be disregarded

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illegible Managers flagged signs as being worn and illegible. Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026 But a prelinguistic intuition also simmers, for example, in a set of illegible, calligraphic drawings that suggest something just preceding the nascence of writing. Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026 The bottles may have missing or illegible lot codes and expiration dates. Jenna Anderson, Health, 30 Jan. 2026 He was less intimidated by its befuddling organization and had grown accustomed to the antiquated spellings and the nearly illegible, unpunctuated scribblings of harried seventeenth-century officials. Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illegible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegible
Adjective
  • Denilson Baniwa has argued that one of Indigenous art’s most effective instruments of resistance is disguise—the adoption of non-Indigenous forms to achieve legibility in white, institutional terms, while the actual logic resides elsewhere, unreadable to those the work isn’t intended for.
    María Carri, Artforum, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Yasmin Kara-Hanani and Henry Muck are out of their depth in the flashy offices of Tender, a start-up led by the smooth-talking, unreadable Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella).
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Researchers have also warned that excessive nighttime lighting can affect human circadian rhythms and obscure views of the night sky for much of the global population.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026
  • Their writings didn't always reference the pseudoscience and conspiracy theories found in obscure online hate spaces.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 May 2026
Adjective
  • The final submission—a six-line poem from Akil—was cryptic, nearly indecipherable.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
  • In Islamabad, the almost indecipherable whisper of leaks has turned to crickets.
    Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Auroras are surprisingly faint to the naked eye at first, especially during weaker geomagnetic storms, so dark skies make a huge difference.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
  • That can sound damning with faint praise, with his lack of wins, but people actually mean it.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
Adjective
  • Georgia relies on machines that count ballots by reading QR codes that are undecipherable to humans.
    Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The spirit and the symbolism were, at times, undecipherable.
    The Know, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The reasons behind her resignation are unclear.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
  • If anything still seems unclear, contact Amazon Customer Service directly.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Illegible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegible. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

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