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
The difficult terrain, impenetrable vegetation, and challenging navigation mean most hikers cover at least 50 percent more distance than that.
—
Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2025
The Atelier series has always been quite dense and somewhat impenetrable for new players, but the Ryza subseries does its best to be approachable for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Sure, the misguided invention is another ding to Jesse’s ego, but that armor is all but impenetrable by now, as is his status as leader of the family’s (hugely profitable) church.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
Samples with microbes ended up in one chamber, the L-serine in the other, and the barrier, formed using a gel, was formulated to be permeable to microbes but impenetrable by abiotic particles.
—Ars Technica, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2025
The Atelier series has always been quite dense and somewhat impenetrable for new players, but the Ryza subseries does its best to be approachable for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Sure, the misguided invention is another ding to Jesse’s ego, but that armor is all but impenetrable by now, as is his status as leader of the family’s (hugely profitable) church.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
Samples with microbes ended up in one chamber, the L-serine in the other, and the barrier, formed using a gel, was formulated to be permeable to microbes but impenetrable by abiotic particles.
—Ars Technica, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenetrable
Adjective
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La Jolla Walk-In Campsite The La Jolla Walk-In Campsite is a small campground in dense chaparral in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
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The explosion in new construction projects was also allowed by the fact that the Austin city government has made building new apartments easier in recent years, rewriting zoning laws, cutting parking requirements, and encouraging dense, walkable development.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Dipping in and out of this book over a few months might inspire a new reverence for the mysterious human body.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2025
-
The family adventure show is set at mysterious Crookhaven School where high achieving young crooks from across the world are secretly selected to hone their skills in disciplines such as deception, crimnastics, forgery and infiltration.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Given the incomprehensible thought of an empty beach on the island of Hawaii (and nationwide), surely the movie's effect on viewers was impactful.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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Honestly, whoever designed this mind-numbing, incomprehensible plan should be banished to an island where they will hopefully be devoured by wildlife.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Construction budgets will also increase if tighter immigration policies result in labor shortages.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
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And don’t even think about trying to change clothes in a tight plane bathroom.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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This change alone reduced impervious surfaces by over 125,000 square feet, significantly decreasing runoff and improving stormwater management.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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That includes the Harambee neighborhood, which has a lack of trees and lots of impervious surfaces, Goray said.—
Madeline Heim,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The crime scene was made more terrifying by a cryptic message the killer scrawled across a wall near the victims that demanded drug money.—
David Schutz,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2025
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Amid all the trade rumors going on, Antetokounmpo has made a cryptic social media post.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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Franklin’s script just doesn’t find an emotional center among so many stock, under-articulated strands, though that may be partly due to thick accents rendering some dialogue unintelligible to American ears.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2025
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But wait: That angry voice seems to grow louder, if still unintelligible — and is now joined by the murmuring of others.—
John Hanc,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Starting with the build, the Swift Edge 14 AI measures just 0.65 inch thick and weighs 2.18 pounds.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
16 May 2025
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The younger Cave, with a mop of jet black hair and thick eyebrows just like his father, is talking to The Hollywood Reporter about being directed by Kristen Stewart in her feature film debut.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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