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
The Red Storm’s situation became so untenable that even Repole, one of the school’s biggest boosters, had enough.
—
Tim Casey, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Public opinion in Europe has hardened against Russia, and there is a growing recognition that strategic dependency on the U.S. is untenable.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
That’s untenable for many people who have nowhere safe to leave their pets or possessions.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
This has been a defensive weakness for the Boilermakers all season, but now teams are hammering it, which is obviously untenable.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untenable
Tim Casey, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Public opinion in Europe has hardened against Russia, and there is a growing recognition that strategic dependency on the U.S. is untenable.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
That’s untenable for many people who have nowhere safe to leave their pets or possessions.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
This has been a defensive weakness for the Boilermakers all season, but now teams are hammering it, which is obviously untenable.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untenable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untenable
Adjective
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Murena Pixel Tablet And Third-Party Apps The ecosystem for Android tablets is weaker than that of Android smartphones.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Cleanup crews noted the tree’s root system was very weak.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Many voters said Governor Whitmer’s order, which restricted an outdoor activity – gardening – seemed irrational and excessive, even at the time.—
Jacob Turcotte,
The Christian Science Monitor,
11 Mar. 2025
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But the widening gap between its real-world performance and analysts’ earnings estimates for unborn products has prompted some to warn of irrational exuberance.—
Chris Kirkham,
USA TODAY,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The words were harsh but the logic was not unreasonable.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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This would not be an unreasonable proposition, considering the U.S. already pledged a security guarantee to Ukraine upon its return of all nuclear warheads to Russia by 1996, based on the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.—
Seung-Whan Choi,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Untenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untenable. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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