1
as in dense
impossible to get through or into
the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
the mysteries of that religion are completely impenetrable to outsiders
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3
as in incomprehensible
impossible to understand
the textbook's language is completely impenetrable, at least to me
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4
as in tight
not allowing penetration (as by gas, liquid, or light)
the container of toxic waste has an impenetrable seal to prevent leaks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impenetrable
Yet, across the water, a seemingly impenetrable wall of the invasive plants sways in the wind, several feet tall.
—
Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
At this time, the entirety of the right side of the lunar disk will be directly illuminated by sunlight, presenting the ancient basaltic plains of Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquilitatis to exploration, while its left side will remain veiled in impenetrable darkness.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Bottom line Nvidia delivered a strong but not impenetrable quarter.
—CNBC, 28 Aug. 2025
In any case, Bennett warned that tensions simmering from within the seemingly impenetrable fortress of North Korea could propel Kim toward more radical actions.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
At this time, the entirety of the right side of the lunar disk will be directly illuminated by sunlight, presenting the ancient basaltic plains of Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquilitatis to exploration, while its left side will remain veiled in impenetrable darkness.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Bottom line Nvidia delivered a strong but not impenetrable quarter.
—CNBC, 28 Aug. 2025
In any case, Bennett warned that tensions simmering from within the seemingly impenetrable fortress of North Korea could propel Kim toward more radical actions.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenetrable
Adjective
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Goldens typically have longer, wavier coats, while Labs have shorter, dense double coats.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Available in just about every color of the rainbow, the flower heads range from tight buttons and dense domes to soft, feathery blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With the head of the Demon Corps in danger, Tanjiro and the Hashira rush to the headquarters but are plunged into a deep descent to a mysterious space by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Beyond this, the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-Ray observatory also studied this spiral galaxy repeatedly and found mysterious regions known as ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs).—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, the movie isn’t really scary at all — just extremely weird, as well as increasingly incomprehensible toward the end.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Then there’s an incomprehensible scene in which Stuhlbarg’s Frederik storms in and out of the kitchen angrily, having turned his music up to an unlistenable volume, while Alma and Maggie—a guest in their home that evening—try to have a serious conversation.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Credit spreads are at their tightest in about 20 years, meaning there is little difference in yields between corporate bonds compared to government bonds.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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The project, created under tight deadlines and with hobby-grade parts, is now on track for wider military use.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Various groups develop impervious boundaries, neutralizing the effectiveness of people who have to interact across them.—
Carol Kinsey Goman,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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Modern American popular culture contains many jocular characters that resemble this folkloric bird, who is delightfully impervious to pain, from cartoon characters such as the Road Runner – an actual bird – to the foulmouthed, self-regenerating antihero Deadpool.—
Perin Gürel,
The Conversation,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But Fellowes remains cryptic when asked about possible spinoff series or films.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Maine native has a history of using her outfits to send cryptic messages.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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However, audio quality can make or break social media content and while some people can tolerate less-than-perfect video, poor and unintelligible sound often has audiences swiping left.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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Airports and airplanes do not have a monopoly on unintelligible announcements.—
Michel A. Ibrahim,
Baltimore Sun,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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The polished sateen set boasts a thick border in six color combinations to wake up a bedroom.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Sep. 2025
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To serve, top with thick, creamy Greek yogurt and vibrant fruits of choice, like raspberries, mangoes and blueberries.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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