1
as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
an intricate machine that requires some training to use it properly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detailed
made or done with great care or with much detail
an intricate hairstyle that requires far too much maintenance to suit my taste
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intricate
Judges evaluate how well the element is performed, looking for intricate entrances before the take-off, a clean landing on one foot, height, distance and fully completed rotations while the skater is in the air.
—
Robert Samuels, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Cat-eye polish can be manipulated into any number of intricate designs, including these mesmerizing swirls.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Topstitching creates texture additional to the elaborate print, and thin green and black stripes create a backdrop for the intricate blue and navy flowers to stand out.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
The halftime show was such an intricate performance.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intricate
Robert Samuels, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Cat-eye polish can be manipulated into any number of intricate designs, including these mesmerizing swirls.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
Topstitching creates texture additional to the elaborate print, and thin green and black stripes create a backdrop for the intricate blue and navy flowers to stand out.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
The halftime show was such an intricate performance.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intricate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intricate
Adjective
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat, as the director-general of the board meant to oversee the implementation of the second and far more complicated phase of the ceasefire.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
If simple, prefabricated asymmetric carbon fibers can act as tiny actuators, engineers may not need complicated coatings or redesigns to build micro-scale devices.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Matchmakers create detailed profiles of their clients and prospective matches, including information about their dealbreakers and preferences and religious and political ideologies.—
Lauren Fichten,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Officials plan to introduce baseline rules by 2027, with more than 300 detailed standards expected by 2030.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Overwhelm, already a danger to investigators managing a complex case, isn’t helped by online conspiracy theorists and other noisemakers.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The two supermassive black holes in the centers of each galaxy fall into orbit together and, like their stellar-mass cousins, can eventually spiral in and combine (though the details of this are a bit complex).—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The elaborate game plan involved identifying powerful targets like the Musk brothers, using women and intermediaries to forge stronger ties with the target, and then relentlessly trying to insert himself into their circles.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Instead of trying to concoct elaborate stories to resolve the measurement problem of quantum mechanics, why not patiently and carefully work through what standard quantum mechanics can say about how information regarding a quantum object gets out into the observable world?—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.—
MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The sheen of the leather, the oversized round buckle—these flat sandals are inherently elegant and modern without trying to be so.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Cellini was no doubt an elegant dress watch, though, as Coogler makes clear.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Mostly, however, Gee’s sophisticated, stealthily moving film folds any bursts of emotion into its exquisitely dark shadows, letting Evans’ limpid but heartsore music do most of the weeping.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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At 5,300 years old, any of those explanations complicates the conventional picture of how sophisticated Predynastic Egyptian material science actually was.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intricate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intricate. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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