as in misleading
formal
not capable of being defended against attack or criticism; not tenable
an untenable argument The theory is untenable.
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Recent Examples of untenable
At the Amex, perhaps inevitably, that anger finally turned on him — and his position became untenable.
—
Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The 10-month investigation underscores Beijing’s efforts to crack down on intense price competition that has driven companies, into an untenable self-defeating cycle, in this case, lower prices on delivery platforms at the expense of food safety.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Those vociferous, flat-out denials had been enough to sway the politicians and union leaders who endorsed Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid, until the weight of evidence made Swalwell’s assertions untenable.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Of all of the arguments against the death penalty, the strongest is that even one conviction of an innocent person is both irreversible and ethically untenable.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untenable
Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The 10-month investigation underscores Beijing’s efforts to crack down on intense price competition that has driven companies, into an untenable self-defeating cycle, in this case, lower prices on delivery platforms at the expense of food safety.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Those vociferous, flat-out denials had been enough to sway the politicians and union leaders who endorsed Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid, until the weight of evidence made Swalwell’s assertions untenable.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Of all of the arguments against the death penalty, the strongest is that even one conviction of an innocent person is both irreversible and ethically untenable.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for untenable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untenable
Adjective
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At the same time, the podcast acknowledges that outward appearances can be misleading.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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Experts warn that by the time others leave reviews or complain about the misleading claims, the sites often go offline or move on to selling another product.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
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Conditions change quickly, signals conflict with each other, and weak assumptions tend to get exposed without much delay.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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His deep dive into the genre left him with some pet peeves, not least the irrational or simply implausible behavior of many horror-movie protagonists.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Evans and his backers were rational actors inside an irrational system.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Another avenue for the administration is to invoke a section of the Trade Act of 1974 that allows tariffs against countries for unreasonable or discriminatory trade practices.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
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And to be fair to Rivers, many people wondered aloud if Green was being unreasonable, incorrect, delusional or all of the above.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untenable. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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