TENABLE Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

tenable

adjective

ˈte-nə-bəl

Definition of tenable

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 tenable How tenable will an all-righty bench be over the medium to long term? — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026 But the more tenable tea on the name involves eighteenth-century trading ships of the British Empire. — Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 David Harris, a University of Pittsburgh law professor specializing in criminal law, said the charges against the protesters are more tenable, given the federal laws against disrupting the free exercise of worship. — Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026 These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 17 Jan. 2026 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

Definition of defendable

Adjective

The Fort Worth Independence Day shooting that killed one near Lake Arlington is being investigated as a justifiable homicide, according to a police report.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Police are investigating the incident as a justifiable homicide, according to the release.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Definition of justifiable

Adjective

Rather than flying directly over heavily defended targets, bombers carrying the AGM-181A are expected to launch the missile from long distances outside the engagement range of sophisticated enemy air defenses.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
Every additional defended point becomes a resource allocation problem for Moscow.

— David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of defended

Adjective

The defensible asset in these businesses will often be workflow design, trusted data, customer relationships and integration with existing institutions.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
How to prepare for wildfire evacuations Cal Fire recommends maintaining at least 100 feet of defensible space around homes by clearing vegetation and other combustible materials that could fuel a wildfire.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 27 July 2026

Definition of defensible

Adjective

Since 2021, the county has filed murder charges in 44 fentanyl overdose cases and secured convictions in 29, according to an online dashboard.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
The president addressed a smaller, heavily secured gathering Friday as his administration intensifies its legal and rhetorical attacks on journalists.

— Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 24 July 2026

Definition of secured

Adjective

For example, Paris has an aesthetic aversion to window units and rooftop HVAC systems, which helps explain why installing air-conditioning typically requires special permission from authorities, especially in protected or historic areas.

— Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Most of them encrypted files in non-protected folders, anywhere from a handful to 24,000.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 25 June 2026

Definition of protected

Adjective

According to the researchers, this could reduce the amount of data satellites need to transmit, while enabling faster, more secure wireless communications.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026
The lawsuit argues that Netflix had a responsibility to store the film in a secure location, and not leave it on an office desk where it could be stolen.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of secure

Browse Nearby Words

ten

tenable

tenacious

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“Tenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenable. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tenable

adjective

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