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 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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Even at full sprint, the characters are moving at a relatively normal speed, with levels designed to be smaller, yet dense, to reduce the amount of backtracking and desperate ping-ponging all over the map.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
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According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, a nutrient-dense diet is a healthy eating plan in which most of your nutritional needs are met by 85% of the calories consumed.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
As if dark energy weren't already mysterious and baffling enough, new research suggests that this unknown force may not be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating rate anymore.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The goddess planet knows the art of seduction, but when transiting Scorpio, her sweetness is equally seductive and mysterious.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The wealth at the top is incomprehensible — orders of magnitude beyond the numbers most of us glean from our own bank statements.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Elder millennial parents who may have trouble understanding what their kids are talking about will likely laugh along to how the comedians portray teens’ reliance on seemingly incomprehensible slang terms to communicate with each other.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
As an example, Sopo said that in some majority-Hispanic Congressional districts in South Texas, conservative Latinos ran in races with historically tight margins of victory.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But Charlotte Republicans are now left wondering how supposed tight races ran away from them and what comes next for their beleaguered party.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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 removal of Spears' Instagram account comes after years of public concern and defense over her social media presence, in which the pop star has been seen posting dance videos (including with knives), sometimes with unintelligible and bizarre captions.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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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
Adjective
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The company says the finalized Bio foil provides the full and appropriate level of impermeable barrier protection and odorless performance.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Oct. 2025
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Chocolate brown stripes punctuate a light charcoal gray background, and the low-pile weave made from recycled polyester gives it an impermeable, easy-to-clean surface.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impenetrable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impenetrable. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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