impassable

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl How to pronounce impassable (audio)
variants also impassible
Definition of impassablenext
as in dense
impossible to get through or into the road was impassable until snowplows cleared it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impassable Portage Mayor Austin Bonta signed a declaration of emergency and said roads were impassable Tuesday. — Selina Guevara, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026 Regardless, numerous roads remain flooded and impassible, including East Pine Street, Riverside Drive, Westfield Road, and Welcome Baptist Church Road. — Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 2 Aug. 2026 Neighbors say the road sometimes becomes impassable during floods, which could leave visitors stranded at the park. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026 Officials said numerous rescues were underway across the county as roads became impassable. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impassable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impassable
  1. dense
  2. close
  3. impervious
  4. impenetrable
  5. impermeable
  6. impregnable
  7. frozen
  8. thick
Adjective
  • Elevated on an all-wood frame and ringed by tall evergreens, the home feels like a slice of Lake Tahoe in the middle of a dense suburb.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • They are being sculpted by intense radiation from nearby young stars, while new stars are forming inside the dense clouds.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of dense
Adjective
  • This is something the First Alert Weather Team will keep a close eye on throughout the week.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Makhachev’s record-setting victory came over Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) in one of Makhachev’s closest fights.
    — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of close
Adjective
  • This brand makes impervious base layers with a chemical-free blend of nylon and lycra.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026
  • To deal with the settling, Peters and his team developed flexible flooring lined with an impervious three-ply fabric.
    — Jennifer Tucker, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of impervious
Adjective
  • The rule also failed to tackle all of the ways trusts and other vehicles provide impenetrable secrecy for the wealthy and the crooked alike.
    — Casey Michel, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Cody erects impenetrable emotional walls around him that deny him from asking for help and creating community.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of impenetrable
Adjective
  • State officials estimated the costs at $4,100 per acre of paved or impermeable surface for those that decide to help fund local stormwater projects, and said the costs for other options could be considerably higher.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Spain needed until the 106th minute to slip a Ferran Torres shot past the impermeable goalkeeping of Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez, whose championship-game record 11 saves proved one too few.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of impermeable
Adjective
  • Dropped catches from Steve Smith, Green and Travis Head ensured yesterday's brief rally in the field fizzled out and allowed Bangladesh to bat itself into an almost impregnable position.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The shell of a good- sized adult abalone is more or less impregnable to most of the kelp forest’s predators, too strong and too thick for penetration.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 July 2026
Definition of impregnable
Adjective
  • The frozen version is a sleeper hit, with a slushy texture that is even more drinkable.
    — Jason Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As glaciers and permafrost — the frozen soil sediment and rock that acts like a glue holding mountains together — melt due to higher temperatures caused by climate change, the threat of landslides is rising in the Swiss Alps.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of frozen
Adjective
  • Swathes of those still standing are marked for death, their fate written like braille in the form of scores of tiny holes — no thicker than a dot left by a ballpoint pen — beneath the bark.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Eastern handles are shorter and thicker, catering more to those who use a Penhold grip, where the head of the paddle is facing down and the paddle is held like a pen.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of thick

Browse Nearby Words

impart (to)
impassable
impasse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impassable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impassable. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on impassable

Nglish: Translation of impassable for Spanish Speakers

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