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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tenable
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
There is no tenable middle ground here.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tenable
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
There is no tenable middle ground here.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenable
Adjective
-
Others said that the shooting is seemingly an extreme case and that charges might have been justifiable.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
-
For much of the 20th century, Sweden enjoyed a justifiable reputation as one of Europe’s most egalitarian countries.—
Miranda Sheild Johansson,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The preservation was so exceptional that the researchers could identify countershading patterns, indicating this armored dinosaur relied on camouflage despite its heavily defended appearance.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Nov. 2025
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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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Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, pointed to the concept of defensible borders that emerged after the 1967 Six-Day War.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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This hands-on perspective helps ensure outputs are clinically relevant, immediately actionable, and scientifically defensible.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Department of Justice, under pressure from prominent MAGA media influencers to arrest Lemon, then took the case to a grand jury and secured indictments that way.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Big Beautiful Bill, passed in July, secured funding for both the Lunar Gateway and further Orion and SLS flights beyond Artemis 3.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In addition to the anxiety over Monday's ruling, Petit said, Haitians under protected status were living amid an uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in areas with large Haitian communities in South Florida.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
3 Feb. 2026
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Isabella Rodriguez, Florida elections director at Citizens Defending Freedom, said religion is also a protected class.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The researchers say the method could lead to scalable platforms for adaptive materials used in soft robotics, secure communication, biomedical devices, and advanced manufacturing.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Some states’ Emergency Medicaid applications specifically ask for a patient’s immigration status — and still assure people that their information will be kept secure and out of the hands of immigration enforcement officials.—
Phil Galewitz,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenable. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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