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
Inducing opposite-phase steering above 30 or 40 mph could cause drastic instability at speed, creating a very rapid yaw moment that would likely cause an unrecoverable skid.
—
ArsTechnica, 7 May 2025
An older idea of Russia that has not yet been destroyed is taking revenge on new, innocent generations who are sacrificing their lives in pursuit of unrecoverable greatness.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
The damaged flight data recorder had been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction by South Korean authorities, who sent it to the United States for analysis at the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board laboratory.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune Asia, 11 Jan. 2025
Only the heart’s memory, a delicate thread that binds us to eternity, tries to recover the unrecoverable — the fleeting moment with its mood, colors, and sounds.
—Andriy Sodomora (tr. Sabrina Jaszi & Roman Ivashkiv), The Dial, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unrecoverable
ArsTechnica, 7 May 2025
An older idea of Russia that has not yet been destroyed is taking revenge on new, innocent generations who are sacrificing their lives in pursuit of unrecoverable greatness.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
The damaged flight data recorder had been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction by South Korean authorities, who sent it to the United States for analysis at the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board laboratory.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune Asia, 11 Jan. 2025
Only the heart’s memory, a delicate thread that binds us to eternity, tries to recover the unrecoverable — the fleeting moment with its mood, colors, and sounds.
—Andriy Sodomora (tr. Sabrina Jaszi & Roman Ivashkiv), The Dial, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unrecoverable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrecoverable
Adjective
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Those who are convinced they’re trapped stay helpless and hopeless.—
Amy Morin,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
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In a world where the powerful increasingly act with impunity, taking fictional villains to task makes sense, a form of Hollywood wish fulfillment for those who feel stuck or hopeless.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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But a three-judge appeals panel found that Kobach failed to provide any evidence that irreparable harm would be caused by allowing for gender marker changes while the lawsuit works its way through the courts.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2025
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Related article Mahmoud Khalil responds to charges against him for the first time in new legal filings, and describes the ‘irreparable harm’ of his detention Khalil was among the first arrestees in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown targeting student activism.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Customs Duty, which is irrecoverable. Import VAT, which can be reclaimed, provided correct steps are taken.—
Robert Marchant,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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The contents of the time capsule may become irrecoverable.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The shift from partner to caregiver was instantaneous and irreversible.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
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But most in the audience clung onto the notion that at best, globalization and integration had reached a bump in the road, believing that globalization was inevitable, immutable and irreversible.—
Paul Laudicina,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Choi seems to be exploring, if subtly, the limitless number of paths a person can take, the manifold consequences of choices that seem inconsequential, the ways interpersonal disputes can widen into irretrievable losses, the awkward intersections of agency and fate: If only this, if not for that.—
Book Marks
June 5,
Literary Hub,
5 June 2025
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This prevents the irretrievable loss of expertise during transitions.—
Nick Hart,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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In April, the actor told PEOPLE exclusively that he'd been diagnosed with the incurable disease.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
16 June 2025
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reinstated nearly 200 workers who screen coal miners for black lung, an incurable progressive disease caused by long-term exposure to coal dust, following a federal judge’s order Tuesday.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unrecoverable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrecoverable. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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