impassable

adjective

im·​pass·​able (ˌ)im-ˈpa-sə-bəl How to pronounce impassable (audio)
variants or less commonly impassible
: incapable of being passed, traveled, crossed, or surmounted
impassability noun
impassableness noun
impassably adverb

Examples of impassable in a Sentence

The roads were made impassable by the flood. the road was impassable until snowplows cleared it
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In Southern California, intense rainfall triggered large debris flows, making several streets impassable, including Mulholland Drive in Santa Monica and several roads in the Palisades. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025 Tallahassee could get a dusting of snow and a quarter of an inch of ice − enough to make roads impassable and knock out power lines from the winter storm forecast to hit the area. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025 Traveling to Crooks Springs means crossing a rocky mountain range that’s considered impassable at this time of year — not only because of the fierce weather, but also the escalating tensions between Mormons, the U.S. Army, and locals of all sorts. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Jan. 2025 Image By Sunday, with blizzard conditions across much of the Kansas City metro area, residents hunkered down as roads and sidewalks become impassable. Amy Graff, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for impassable 

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impassable was in 1562

Dictionary Entries Near impassable

Cite this Entry

“Impassable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impassable. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

impassable

adjective
im·​pass·​able (ˈ)im-ˈpas-ə-bəl How to pronounce impassable (audio)
: impossible to pass, cross, or travel over
roads made impassable by the hurricane
impassability noun

More from Merriam-Webster on impassable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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