impassable
adjective
im·pass·able
(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl 
variants
or less commonly impassible
: incapable of being passed, traveled, crossed, or surmounted
Examples of impassable in a Sentence
The roads were made impassable by the flood.
the road was impassable until snowplows cleared it
Recent Examples on the Web
Roads are impassable and communication networks are unreliable.
—
Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
The only human access is along the Lost Coast Trail, a 24-mile beach trek that generally takes three days, requires a permit and is impassable during storms and high tides.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
The city grappled with flooding in the usual places, including Mission Valley, where multiple roads were impassable, and Ocean Beach, where beachgoers didn’t necessarily have to reach the ocean to go for a swim.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2024
Gusty winds left fences damaged and roadways impassable, according to the authorities in Panama City, Fla., where the storm moved through on Tuesday.
—Christine Hauser, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024
But white-out conditions hit some elevated areas, and the combination of snow and fierce winds made travel on I-8 in eastern San Diego County treacherous and, at times, impassable.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Oct. 2023
Heavy rains may make parts of this hike impassable, so plan accordingly.
—The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024
Heavy rain also loosens the soil, causing sinkholes, mudslides and downed trees, which can make a route dangerous or impassable.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Before and after that dubious achievement, Milwaukee got hit with a ton of snow, and because the city did not yet have alternate-side-of-the-street parking restrictions in place, some neighborhoods were impassable, with plows unable to dig between parked cars on both sides of the street.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024
Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
The only human access is along the Lost Coast Trail, a 24-mile beach trek that generally takes three days, requires a permit and is impassable during storms and high tides.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
The city grappled with flooding in the usual places, including Mission Valley, where multiple roads were impassable, and Ocean Beach, where beachgoers didn’t necessarily have to reach the ocean to go for a swim.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2024
Gusty winds left fences damaged and roadways impassable, according to the authorities in Panama City, Fla., where the storm moved through on Tuesday.
—Christine Hauser, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024
But white-out conditions hit some elevated areas, and the combination of snow and fierce winds made travel on I-8 in eastern San Diego County treacherous and, at times, impassable.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Oct. 2023
Heavy rains may make parts of this hike impassable, so plan accordingly.
—The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024
Heavy rain also loosens the soil, causing sinkholes, mudslides and downed trees, which can make a route dangerous or impassable.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Before and after that dubious achievement, Milwaukee got hit with a ton of snow, and because the city did not yet have alternate-side-of-the-street parking restrictions in place, some neighborhoods were impassable, with plows unable to dig between parked cars on both sides of the street.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impassable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1562, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near impassable
Cite this Entry
“Impassable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impassable. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
impassable
adjective
im·pass·able
(ˈ)im-ˈpas-ə-bəl
: impossible to pass, cross, or travel over
roads made impassable by the hurricane
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