as in inevitable
impossible to avoid or evade
the ineluctable approach of winter had many worried about the cost of heating their homes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ineluctable
That is unfortunate but ineluctable, given the balance on the battlefield and the unwillingness of both the Biden administration and the current one to pour in the military resources that would give Ukraine a chance of defeating Russia.
—
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2025
The meanings of these images—which speak variously of environmental collapse, policy failure, ineluctable helplessness—do not invite their use as objects of contemplation.
—Teju Cole, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Embarrassed by the scandal, the DOJ had no choice but to prosecute — but all the while knowing that a pardon was ineluctable.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024
The Reichstag fire burns in the distance, and precursors to Nazism are everywhere in evidence; the coming violence feels ineluctable.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ineluctable
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2025
The meanings of these images—which speak variously of environmental collapse, policy failure, ineluctable helplessness—do not invite their use as objects of contemplation.
—Teju Cole, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Embarrassed by the scandal, the DOJ had no choice but to prosecute — but all the while knowing that a pardon was ineluctable.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024
The Reichstag fire burns in the distance, and precursors to Nazism are everywhere in evidence; the coming violence feels ineluctable.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ineluctable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineluctable
Adjective
-
The fall of Pokrovsk – the strategic value of which has already been greatly diminished, but which would nevertheless represent the biggest win for Moscow since 2023 – now seems almost inevitable, according to those on the ground.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
This character of aberrance is what makes accidental surfing deaths seem inevitable—or, rather, inexorable, built into the subway’s force.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
After giving birth to her second child in April, the 32-year-old was determined to continue breastfeeding her son — a choice that was both personally important and financially necessary for her family.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The Federal Aviation Administration says the decision is necessary to keep travelers safe.—
Rio Yamat,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ineluctable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineluctable. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share