1
as in defendable
capable of being defended against physical attack
the soldiers' encampment on the open plain was not tenable, so they retreated to higher ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifiable
capable of being defended with good reasoning against verbal attack
the tenable theory that a giant meteor strike set off a chain of events resulting in the demise of the dinosaurs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tenable
These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.
—
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Jan. 2026
The premise that China would remain a status-quo power anchored in the old trading order is no longer tenable.
—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
After the war, many Iranians hoped things would change and that the government would leverage the nationalistic rally around the flag to introduce a more tenable social contract with the populace.
—Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Even so, their choice may not be tenable for much longer.
—Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Jan. 2026
The premise that China would remain a status-quo power anchored in the old trading order is no longer tenable.
—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
After the war, many Iranians hoped things would change and that the government would leverage the nationalistic rally around the flag to introduce a more tenable social contract with the populace.
—Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Even so, their choice may not be tenable for much longer.
—Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenable
Adjective
-
The safe, defendable choice wasn’t necessarily the right one though.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Only three justifiable arguments were made for this war.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Only three justifiable arguments were made for this war.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Such endurance is central to the aircraft’s role in long-range deterrence operations and potential missions in heavily defended regions.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Private firefighting outfits defended companies, utilities, and ultrarich enclaves while other parts of the city burned.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Another takeaway based on the first point is that defensible space has to be, in many cases, mandated more and more in communities where the separation between brush around homes has to be widened up to 30 or 40 feet, which is a challenge.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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For a financial services company, using generic AI coupled with fragmented data cannot get you a defensible answer on how to assess those risks.—
Rob Fauber,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Leon’s invention secured interest from Gaston himself, who came to see him in Venezuela in 1987.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
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In 2025 district attorneys filed charges in four cases referred to their offices and secured convictions in three.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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If your income comes primarily from protected sources like Social Security or disability benefits, a court judgment may pose little immediate threat.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The Surgeon General's office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are banned for 10 years from wielding legal, regulatory or economic pressure to persuade the platforms to remove protected speech.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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It would be built beneath Sherman Park, federal land southwest of the White House, to provide a more secure place to screen those going on White House tours or attending events.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The bunker will include medical facilities and secure communications, among other installations.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenable. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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