1
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed
believed that there was no such thing as an unrecoverable criminal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irreparable
not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone
the flood caused unrecoverable damage to our home
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unrecoverable
Instead, in the U.S., projects are litigated and delayed, often to make the project economics untenable and the investment unrecoverable.
—
Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Minutes later, the list reached an unrecoverable 45 degrees; the ship slowly and silently sank, its starboard side resting on the river bottom.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 24 July 2025
The decision to close the LeChee site came after a year of contractual breaches, delays and political interference that caused over $47 million in unrecoverable losses for the company, according to a ZenniHome news release sent out July 14.
—Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 16 July 2025
Then, use secure data-erasing software to completely wipe your PC, ensuring your personal information is unrecoverable.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrecoverable
Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Minutes later, the list reached an unrecoverable 45 degrees; the ship slowly and silently sank, its starboard side resting on the river bottom.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 24 July 2025
The decision to close the LeChee site came after a year of contractual breaches, delays and political interference that caused over $47 million in unrecoverable losses for the company, according to a ZenniHome news release sent out July 14.
—Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 16 July 2025
Then, use secure data-erasing software to completely wipe your PC, ensuring your personal information is unrecoverable.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrecoverable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrecoverable
Adjective
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From what looked like a hopeless position just a few weeks ago, the subscribers are now off the bottom of the table and gearing up for a potential title challenge.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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And if the hypotheticals are not enough to dissuade, history is littered with teams trading away their future for immediate glories, seeing their plans implode, and being left with a ruinous future that becomes a hopeless present while another team reaps the benefits.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Joseph Hatley, an attorney representing Leavenworth, said the city succeeded in demonstrating that allowing CoreCivic to reopen without a permit would have caused irreparable harm.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
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The Rose Bowl is seeking to enforce terms of a lease that runs through 2044, arguing taxpayers are backing costly renovations at UCLA’s request and the Bruins’ departure would cause irreparable harm.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Broadly speaking, this is probably not irrecoverable damage to the ecosystem.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
19 July 2025
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Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation.—
Dan Catchpole,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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Artificial intelligence, deepfakes, digital scanning, online marketplaces, and data breaches mean that once images leave secure custody, the harm is irreversible.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
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Joanie Sprague and Danielle Evans were both sent to the dentist as part of the makeover portion of the season, which usually focused more on the contestants' haircuts and color rather than irreversible cosmetic changes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This dreamscape of the island, like that of the jungle, illuminates in children’s literature a sense of utopia and longing about childhood as a not-quite-place, situated in an irretrievable past-yet-future, while at the same time rooted in an anti-utopian logic of adulthood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
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Alcaraz broke the Italian twice, winning the set with an incredible backhand flick from what looked like an irretrievable position and cupping his ear.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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The case has deeply embarrassed the royal family, especially his mother, who suffers from an incurable lung illness and who is torn between her role as mother and future queen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Authorities in Canada are weighing the case of Claire Brosseau, a 48-year-old woman with severe mental illness who hopes to secure medical help in ending her life but whose own psychiatrists are split over whether her illness is indeed incurable.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unrecoverable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrecoverable. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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