1
as in dense
impossible to get through or into
the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the mysteries of that religion are completely impenetrable to outsiders
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3
as in incomprehensible
impossible to understand
the textbook's language is completely impenetrable, at least to me
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4
as in tight
not allowing penetration (as by gas, liquid, or light)
the container of toxic waste has an impenetrable seal to prevent leaks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impenetrable
In this archetype, the leader is a stoic force—strong, steady, and impenetrable.
—
Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
His manifesto, dismissed in the 1990s as impenetrable, is now the subject of YouTube videos drawing millions of views apiece.
—Charles Homans, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
But the impenetrable bureaucracy that had sprung up at USAGM has long counteracted their work.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2025
It’s apparently been rigged into an impenetrable torture device on wheels.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
His manifesto, dismissed in the 1990s as impenetrable, is now the subject of YouTube videos drawing millions of views apiece.
—Charles Homans, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
But the impenetrable bureaucracy that had sprung up at USAGM has long counteracted their work.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2025
It’s apparently been rigged into an impenetrable torture device on wheels.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenetrable
Adjective
-
This hot, dense state of matter consisting of the innermost building blocks of protons and neutrons, is believed to have filled the universe nearly 14 billion years ago, just microseconds after the Big Bang.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2025
-
The guys play too many matches and Didier can be a bit dense -- like denying a request for a couple weeks off to move to another country.—
Tom Williams,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The film follows a teenage girl who partners with a mysterious robot and an eccentric grifter to find her brother in a dystopian future.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Apart is on its way — and has quite the mysterious cover to match.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
When technology changes so quickly that even Millennials are shaking their heads at Gen Z’s incomprehensible habits, what chance do ageing parents have to stay a step ahead of their kids?—
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
This is something incomprehensible to any human being.—
Caitlin McFall,
Fox News,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
At the moment, Ajax is in a tight title race in the Eredivisie between Twente, currently at the top of the table, and PSV, who are ahead of Ajax but level with Twente on points.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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The Grizzlies, which entered with losses in seven of their last eight games and recently made a coaching change, are in a tight race in the Western Conference to avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The effect was to view non-European peoples as constitutionally bound by custom, impervious to progress, and inscrutable to the Western mind.—
Zachariah Mampilly,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Apr. 2025
-
But these concepts are not, on their own, impervious to challenge.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Generally, when a player makes a cryptic social media post ...—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Pittsburgh Steelers four-time All-pro defensive end T.J. Watt had a cryptic post on his Instagram account that had the NFL world in a social media frenzy.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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From our review: Khan’s lack of screen presence, toothless mixed martial arts sequences and unintelligible editing further knock the film down.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The rest of the freestyle was unintelligible, and it was not shot well, either.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This beautiful Easter garland, on sale for $79.99 at Wayfair, is opulent and thick with twigs and pastel eggs that run throughout.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Twangy bass lines thick enough to saw down a redwood tree are shredded with shivers of electric guitar to create a blues sound that cuts a hole straight through the decades.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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