the unthinkable
noun
: something that one cannot accept, believe, or imagine
especially
: something that is so bad that one does not want to think about it
And then, the unthinkable happened: the car skidded out of control and crashed.
Examples of the unthinkable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hello from Milan and Cortina, where the unthinkable happened today inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
—
The Sports Desk, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Slavery had become ever more entrenched in America; this transformation had brought the fringe to the mainstream, made the unthinkable thinkable, the impermissible permissible.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
At 2-2 in the second period, the unthinkable was playing out.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
As a man trying to live intentionally in the face of the unthinkable.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the unthinkable
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The Sports Desk, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Slavery had become ever more entrenched in America; this transformation had brought the fringe to the mainstream, made the unthinkable thinkable, the impermissible permissible.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
At 2-2 in the second period, the unthinkable was playing out.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
As a man trying to live intentionally in the face of the unthinkable.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the unthinkable
Cite this Entry
“The unthinkable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20unthinkable. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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