1
as in dense
impossible to get through or into
the ancient temple was surrounded by vast stretches of impenetrable jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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 Panthers rose to the top of the league by being unapologetically physical, wearing down opposing defences and being impenetrable.
—
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
But there’s nothing impenetrable about that film.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
The timepiece that helped cement Rolex as a maker of impenetrable tool watches is heading to auction this fall.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2025
By emphasizing the caper aspect and the goofy comedy of all this over the intricate plotting that is a hallmark of Westlake’s novels, Black lowers the stakes of a heist that involves halting a speeding NY subway refuse train and busting into a supposedly impenetrable Brooklyn vault.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
But there’s nothing impenetrable about that film.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
The timepiece that helped cement Rolex as a maker of impenetrable tool watches is heading to auction this fall.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2025
By emphasizing the caper aspect and the goofy comedy of all this over the intricate plotting that is a hallmark of Westlake’s novels, Black lowers the stakes of a heist that involves halting a speeding NY subway refuse train and busting into a supposedly impenetrable Brooklyn vault.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impenetrable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impenetrable
Adjective
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Pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds are nutrient-dense foods that are commonly enjoyed as a snack and often added to recipes like smoothies, baked goods, and salads.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Tell us which creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and altogether ooky anthem is your favorite to listen to during Halloween time — or at any point in the year — by voting in the poll below.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
-
As the unloved surviving son of a cruel father, he was approached by a wizard who offered him gold to secretly feed a mysterious hedgehog-faced monster in a cave.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Characters make incomprehensible choices.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
-
That would be an almost incomprehensible outcome, given that Mendoza — after graduating from Miami’s Columbus High School — had just one scholarship offer from a major-conference school, and that came from Cal just one day before National Signing Day.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There’s something rare about Swain, who is a young brainiac, but one who has built his business the old-fashioned, pre-quant-trading and Excel models Wall Street way, via charm offensives that weave webs of tight relationships few rivals can match.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Money was tight, especially when Smith’s father, who worked as a machinist after returning from World War II, was on strike.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But there were strengths here, too, none more than England’s impervious Lazarus complex, that baffling inability to know when one is in a state of emergency.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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The assessment by PlanIT Geo also found that only 29% of Pittsburg’s land is suitable for new tree planting, due to impervious surfaces.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Welch announced their album Everybody Scream back in August, following a few cryptic teasers.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
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This led many fans to believe that online discussions and interviews referencing his expiring contract were part of an elaborate storyline, given Kross's cryptic persona.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The vendor said some other things that were unintelligible because of the overlap between her live speech and the lagging translation.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
-
But in an Akan language, the notion that an object could exist as a bare substrate, stripped of properties—say, the idea of a stone, with its weight, texture, and color subtracted—is basically unintelligible; the metaphysical split between a thing and its properties isn’t naturally expressible.—
Lula Konner,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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At great risk, Hamida disguises herself as a khes (a thick cotton cloth) seller and enters the house to plan with Lajo an escape route.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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The Oklahoma native's signature is his thick accent and his straight talk.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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