as in unlikely
not likely to be true or to occur
it seems improbable that the two writers never met since they traveled in the same social circles
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Recent Examples of improbable
Nelson’s uncle, Dave Christian, led the famed 1980 team in assists on the way to the improbable semifinal victory over the Soviet Union and gold medal win over Finland in Lake Placid, New York.
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Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Nelson's uncle, Dave Christian, led the famed 1980 team in assists on the way to the improbable semifinal victory over the Soviet Union and gold medal win over Finland in Lake Placid, New York.
—CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
These improbable captors are an average, often unreliable bunch, at least at first.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Cool, clear mornings give way to afternoons shaped by the low winter arc of the sun, painting the mountains in long shadows and the sky in improbable color.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improbable
Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Nelson's uncle, Dave Christian, led the famed 1980 team in assists on the way to the improbable semifinal victory over the Soviet Union and gold medal win over Finland in Lake Placid, New York.
—CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
These improbable captors are an average, often unreliable bunch, at least at first.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Cool, clear mornings give way to afternoons shaped by the low winter arc of the sun, painting the mountains in long shadows and the sky in improbable color.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improbable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improbable
unlikely
Adjective
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The series follows a teenage boy who forms an unlikely alliance with the Fairy Queen of Celtic lore to search for malevolent mythical creatures from around the world, among them the Yeti, Baba Yaga and a Lady Dracula — not to destroy them, but to save them from impending doom.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Costco, by contrast, is betting that visible, if measured, support for diversity can coexist with—and even underpin—a booming business, turning the warehouse club into an unlikely bellwether for how far corporate America is willing to go in defying the president’s DEI directive.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Improbable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improbable. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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