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
Republicans face the same kind of pressure to deal with disaster relief and other agenda items, meaning the situation is not tenable long term for either party.
—
Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 5 Aug. 2025
As images of starving children in Gaza continue to circulate and the international outcry grows louder, a number of American rabbis used their pulpits to speak up about the humanitarian crisis, some with sorrow, others with moral urgency, and many with a sense that silence was no longer tenable.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
He’s caught between his wife and his daughter, and that’s certainly not a tenable place to be.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2025
So far, throughout the history of automatic code generators, that hands-off approach is not usually a tenable option and the greater likelihood is that the code generator will get you halfway there, maybe less, maybe more, but in the end, human scrutiny and effort are required.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 5 Aug. 2025
As images of starving children in Gaza continue to circulate and the international outcry grows louder, a number of American rabbis used their pulpits to speak up about the humanitarian crisis, some with sorrow, others with moral urgency, and many with a sense that silence was no longer tenable.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
He’s caught between his wife and his daughter, and that’s certainly not a tenable place to be.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2025
So far, throughout the history of automatic code generators, that hands-off approach is not usually a tenable option and the greater likelihood is that the code generator will get you halfway there, maybe less, maybe more, but in the end, human scrutiny and effort are required.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenable
Adjective
-
The Republican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is a justifiable restriction.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
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Stand your ground laws and their complicated history Most stand your ground laws center around justifiable uses of force, according to Cynthia Godsoe, a professor of criminal law at Brooklyn Law School.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Ringo recorded a defended pass and recovered the fumble Campbell forced.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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In the first three games of the year, DeJean recorded 22 tackles and a defended pass.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Democrats are currently so desperate for strong male role models to promote as candidates that they’re all tangled up over whether a burly Maine oysterman’s Nazi-symbol tattoo is defensible.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
5 Nov. 2025
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Maranghides told me that the idea of defensible space has at times become part of the problem.—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Less secured bonds in Saks Global financing were trading below 9 cents on the dollar.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
23 Dec. 2025
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Advertisement Finally, following the success of Decision to Leave, Park secured funding for his adaptation of The Ax—but for a Korean version of the film.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Oregon lawmakers added gender identity as a protected class under state anti-discrimination law in 2021.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
15 Oct. 2025
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Deutsch explained that architects have found lowering a ceiling makes a person feel more protected and comfortable.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Software designed to fix security holes was not installed, and the company failed to enforce a policy that ensured employees used secure passwords.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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The upper is embossed with the brand’s GG monogram and finished with gold horsebit hardware across the vamp, staying secure thanks to a slim slingback strap and side buckle.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenable. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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