IMPASSABLE Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

impassable

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl

variants also impassible

Definition of impassable

as in dense

impossible to get through or into the road was impassable until snowplows cleared it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 impassable RickyRay Robertson said floodwaters rose so quickly that roads became impassable within minutes, forcing him and his neighbor to abandon her vehicle and wade through chest-deep water to safety. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 16 July 2026 Drive Texas road closures There are several road closures due to impassable streets affected by floodwaters. — Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 16 July 2026 The fleeing bear apparently had come to the foot of one of those vertical lava cliffs that make the walls of these canyons straight-sided and impassable in places. — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026 That could change if the conflict continues and the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for a chunk of the world’s fuel and fertilizer, becomes impassable. — Hugh Son,laya Neelakandan,leslie Picker,ritika Shah, CNBC, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impassable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impassable

Adjective

Conditions that are too cold might delay proofing or rising, resulting in a super-dense loaf.

— Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2026
Local authorities did not say how the captives were rescued from the dense, expansive forest of the Kainji Lake National Park.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of dense

Adjective

The pair will share the screen with Will Smith and AnnaSophia Robb, who play two FBI agents investigating a seemingly impossible murder within the impenetrable walls of a maximum-security prison.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
There was a metal gate rolled out making the front portion of the plane an impenetrable fortress.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of impenetrable

Adjective

State officials estimated the costs at $4,100 per acre of paved or impermeable surface for those that decide to help fund local stormwater projects, and said the costs for other options could be considerably higher.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Spain needed until the 106th minute to slip a Ferran Torres shot past the impermeable goalkeeping of Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez, whose championship-game record 11 saves proved one too few.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of impermeable

Adjective

The shell of a good- sized adult abalone is more or less impregnable to most of the kelp forest’s predators, too strong and too thick for penetration.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 July 2026
As recidivist would-be escapees, de Boeldieu, Marechal, and Rosenthal are transferred to an impregnable medieval fortress, commanded by Captain von Rauffenstein, now burnt, broken in body, and wearing a neck brace.

— Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026

Definition of impregnable

Adjective

Swathes of those still standing are marked for death, their fate written like braille in the form of scores of tiny holes — no thicker than a dot left by a ballpoint pen — beneath the bark.

— Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Eastern handles are shorter and thicker, catering more to those who use a Penhold grip, where the head of the paddle is facing down and the paddle is held like a pen.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of thick

Browse Nearby Words

impart (to)

impassable

impasse

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Impassable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impassable. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impassable

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on impassable

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vacuous

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes