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
When McLaughlin arrived at Briar's home, an officer told her the unthinkable.
—
Stephanie Slifer, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Things went smoothly until the plane was preparing to land and the unthinkable happened.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Less than a year later, Penix would head to the NFL as a 2024 first-round pick, and DeBoer would take on the unthinkable task of replacing Nick Saban at Alabama.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Dec. 2025
This brings us to the law as a barrier to the unthinkable.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the unthinkable
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Stephanie Slifer, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Things went smoothly until the plane was preparing to land and the unthinkable happened.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Less than a year later, Penix would head to the NFL as a 2024 first-round pick, and DeBoer would take on the unthinkable task of replacing Nick Saban at Alabama.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Dec. 2025
This brings us to the law as a barrier to the unthinkable.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
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 11 Jan. 2026.
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