as in unacceptable
too bad to be excused or justified
the city's lack of preparedness for a major natural disaster was utterly indefensible
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indefensible
That an insurer can award eight-figure paydays and stockpile vast reserves while households absorb devastating premium hikes is indefensible.
—
Barbara Hoare, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Two of the most talked about these days are the indefensible actions of ICE and the attempt of this government to take over the arts in this country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
The collective rejection of ICE’s brutal and indefensible assault on Minneapolis is part of a larger wave of solidarity against the federal government.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
But by the late 1950s, ICBMs emerged – and these deadly intercontinental ballistic missiles presented North America with a more insidious (and for a long time, indefensible) threat.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indefensible
Barbara Hoare, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Two of the most talked about these days are the indefensible actions of ICE and the attempt of this government to take over the arts in this country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
The collective rejection of ICE’s brutal and indefensible assault on Minneapolis is part of a larger wave of solidarity against the federal government.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
But by the late 1950s, ICBMs emerged – and these deadly intercontinental ballistic missiles presented North America with a more insidious (and for a long time, indefensible) threat.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indefensible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indefensible
Adjective
-
For a city in the grip of a housing crisis, that delay was unacceptable.—
Michelle de la Uz,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
-
Bans on unacceptable-risk AI have applied since February 2025, according to the European Commission.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Salim has to be the pragmatic one who pretends everything around them isn’t morally unjustifiable just to get through the day without losing his mind.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, said the war was morally unjustifiable.—
Nicole Winfield,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Instead, Adames committed an inexcusable baserunning error by forgetting how many outs there were in the seventh inning, allowing Ohtani to complete seven scoreless innings as the Giants’ three-game winning streak was snapped.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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This claim seeks to hold the Defendants accountable for their inexcusable failure to protect [the victim], resulting in her profound suffering and the birth of her child under traumatic circumstances.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Longtime Super Bowl advertisers who typically buy several commercials found the initial ask — as much as $20 million when ad slot and match are combined — outrageous.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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At the film’s after-party there will be tee-shirts that are a tad outrageous, but also quite hilarious.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Conservatives and Republicans in Congress continue to claim that the cost of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits is an insupportable burden on America, so benefits need to be cut, though President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to preserve entitlements like Social Security and Medicare.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2025
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There are people of goodwill who think the way out of this insupportable situation lies in the fight for equal democratic rights in a single state for everyone living in the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.—
Michelle Goldberg,
The Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2024
Adjective
-
And while politics has and always will be intertwined with sports, simply selecting Italy to compete would be a totally unforgivable abuse of power that would undermine the many years teams have spent trying to qualify for the event.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
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As in Gaza, the recent bombing of Lebanon has been indiscriminate, with unforgivable civilian casualties.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
More to the point: Doing nothing would be unpardonable.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
27 Nov. 2025
-
If Sam is wrong, his journalistic sin is unpardonable.—
Neal B. Freeman,
National Review,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
The story follows a Lebanese family caught in debts and schemes that drag them in a vicious cycle that tests their unity.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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But the score was a costly one since the penalty that sent up the goal — a vicious hit from defenseman Brayden McNabb — knocked Ducks forward Ryan Poehling out of the game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indefensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indefensible. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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