unthinkable

adjective

ˌən-ˈthiŋ-kə-bəl How to pronounce unthinkable (audio)
Definition of unthinkablenext
as in incredible
too extraordinary or improbable to believe to most people it seemed unthinkable that such a gentle man could be guilty of such awful crimes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unthinkable Even a few years ago, such a haul would have been unthinkable. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 Gasly’s move triggered an unthinkable barrage of death threats not just against the French racer, but also his girlfriend and immediate family. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 28 Oct. 2026 Before the start of the season, that would have seemed unthinkable. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Just a few years ago, this scene of Jewish worshippers praying openly and vocally atop Jerusalem’s holiest of holy sites – known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound – would have been unthinkable. — Ilan Ben Zion, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unthinkable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unthinkable
  1. incredible
  2. unlikely
  3. incredulous
  4. impossible
  5. inconceivable
  6. unimaginable
  7. unbelievable
Adjective
  • Shortly thereafter, the Rockets fumbled the ball away on their next possession, and O’Connell’s incredible night continued.
    — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Stones album is also incredible, in a very different way.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of incredible
Adjective
  • Also unlikely to receive funding is a campground in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park that burned down in 2016 and has yet to be fixed.
    — Joe Heim, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Party scored in unlikely places, particularly in the Midwest and the South.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of unlikely
Adjective
  • Cam asked her, incredulous that his talkative fiancée had nothing to say.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Some congressional Democrats were incredulous, saying the email might simply have been deleted and that the firm’s analysis did not explain why or how someone might have manufactured the message.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of incredulous
Adjective
  • Reaves hit a seemingly impossible baseline fadeaway in the first quarter, flinging the ball almost over the backboard.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Requests for food increased 80% Several families the Courant spoke to in the state said that the myriad of rising costs are impossible to absorb and stress levels are also climbing, as some take on second jobs to make ends meet.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of impossible
Adjective
  • But the story of twentieth-century democracy from Watergate to the Pentagon Papers is inconceivable without print.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Technology, public taste and economic conditions all contributed to its once-inconceivable drastic makeover.
    — Rick Nicita, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of inconceivable
Adjective
  • Bass ran when a Black woman entering the White House seemed almost unimaginable.
    — Allissa V. Richardson, The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Thank you to the trauma physicians and surgeons who care for unimaginable injuries, each a devastating story.
    — Robert M. Kinast, STAT, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of unimaginable
Adjective
  • The same fryer is also responsible for the unbelievable Croqu’Ailes Farcies XL, which are deboned chicken wings stuffed with more chicken and deep-fried.
    — Luke Pyenson, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Angie for Florida and her grassroots movement did an unbelievable job.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of unbelievable

Browse Nearby Words

untethers
unthinkable
unthinkably
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Cite this Entry

“Unthinkable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unthinkable. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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