unpassable

adjective un·pass·able \ ˌən-ˈpa-sə-bəl \

Definition of unpassable

: incapable of being traveled, traveled through, or crossed : impassible

… a continent of land of at least 1800 miles, in which journey we had … unpassable deserts to go over …
—Daniel Defoe

Recent Examples of unpassable from the Web

Trump appears to be claiming that, as a last resort to ban imports, American cars are forced to pass an unpassable test.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "So, uh, what’s this bowling-ball test that Trump was talking about?," 15 Mar. 2018
Working with a low budget that never becomes a hindrance, Mr. Perry uses exterior space to convey interiority, as when Alyssa speaks to Nick — who keeps his back to her — from across a room that feels like a vast, unpassable chasm.

— manohla dargis, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Golden Exits,’ Ties That Bind (and Cut Too)," 8 Feb. 2018
After an initial inspection, Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, estimated nearly 90% of homes on the island are totally destroyed, with communications down, roads unpassable, and substantial flooding.

— jennifer l. anderson, Fortune, "Hurricane Irma’s Caribbean Victims Need America Right Now," 8 Sep. 2017
That's because several key ports along the Texas Gulf Coast were closed for most of the week, the critical Houston Shipping Channel was shuttered for several days and many local roadways have been unpassable.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "Gas shortages crop up in Texas after Hurricane Harvey stirs fears," 1 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unpassable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unpassable

circa 1525

in the meaning defined above

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unpassable

Definition of unpassable

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