improbable
adjective
im·prob·a·ble
(ˌ)im-ˈprä-bə-bəl 
-ˈpräb-bəl
: unlikely to be true or to occur
an improbable story
also
: unlikely but real or true
their improbable come-from-behind victory
Examples of improbable in a Sentence
The team made an improbable comeback.
it seems improbable that the two writers never met since they traveled in the same social circles
Recent Examples on the Web
An international crew of astronauts — including Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong and Chris Evans — are dispatched with the improbable mission of reigniting the sun.
—
Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
In one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of figure skating, Alysa Liu of the United States, who quit the sport after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, reclaimed her career on her own joyous terms and won the gold medal in the women’s competition on Thursday at the Milan-Cortina Games.
—Bora Erden, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The improbable basket gave the Knights a five-point lead heading into halftime.
—Dan Rios, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
Sweden is going home early from a tournament that did not go as planned for a team with a full roster of 25 NHL players, while upstart Slovakia is making another improbable run at the Games.
—Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improbable
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Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
In one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of figure skating, Alysa Liu of the United States, who quit the sport after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, reclaimed her career on her own joyous terms and won the gold medal in the women’s competition on Thursday at the Milan-Cortina Games.
—Bora Erden, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The improbable basket gave the Knights a five-point lead heading into halftime.
—Dan Rios, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
Sweden is going home early from a tournament that did not go as planned for a team with a full roster of 25 NHL players, while upstart Slovakia is making another improbable run at the Games.
—Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improbable
Cite this Entry
“Improbable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/improbable. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
improbable
adjective
im·prob·a·ble
(ˈ)im-ˈpräb(-ə)-bəl
: not probable : unlikely to be true or to occur
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