as in unacceptable
too bad to be excused or justified
the city's lack of preparedness for a major natural disaster was utterly indefensible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 indefensible
The Hiroshima Art Prize strengthens a resolve to resist the support for this indefensible cruelty and protest such involvement.
—
News Desk, Artforum, 26 Dec. 2024
Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, underwent a reputational transformation over her defense of the military's indefensible action.
—Derek Mitchell, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
The Joe Schoen-Giants public relations machine is already in high gear trying to defend the GM’s indefensible performance while making clear that Daboll is about to pay the price for the organization’s dysfunction.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The prevailing food waste, however, is more than indefensible.
—Vaclav Smil, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for indefensible 
News Desk, Artforum, 26 Dec. 2024
Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, underwent a reputational transformation over her defense of the military's indefensible action.
—Derek Mitchell, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
The Joe Schoen-Giants public relations machine is already in high gear trying to defend the GM’s indefensible performance while making clear that Daboll is about to pay the price for the organization’s dysfunction.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The prevailing food waste, however, is more than indefensible.
—Vaclav Smil, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for indefensible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indefensible
Adjective
-
In this team, calling in sick for shady reasons is unacceptable.—
Lieke ten Brummelhuis,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Greenwashing and intentional misinformation are unacceptable, but silence from the best actors is an even bigger risk.—
Jesper Brodin,
TIME,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Such an action would be unjustifiable in peacetime.—
Henry E. Hale,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2023
-
To make this gloomy picture even darker, unjustifiable gender disparities continue, as do exploitation, violence, and abuse.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The Lions had an inexcusable 12-men-on-the-field penalty right before an all-important fourth-down, which gave Washington an automatic first down.—
Colton Pouncy,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Allowing Todd to have her way from beyond the arc was inexcusable, Cullop added.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The two franchises eventually crossed over with the Warriors Orochi games, which mashes up characters from both titles alongside original ones for an outrageous kitchen sink approach with a fantasy bend.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The kit takes what is already a pretty outrageous sports car and outfits it with an aggressive aero package that features a front lip spoiler, a whole array of fins, and an even larger rear wing that retains the standard version’s DRS functionality.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Conservatives and Republicans in Congress continue to claim that the cost of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits is an insupportable burden on America, so benefits need to be cut, though President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to preserve entitlements like Social Security and Medicare.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2025
-
Unless the distress among the German people should become insupportable, any sudden advance movement on their part that relied on force would be doomed to failure without armed support and assistance from outside.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Dec. 2011
Adjective
-
Leaving the country days after being notified of weather conditions that everyone who lives in LA knows are prime disaster fire conditions is unforgivable.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
Fox News,
15 Jan. 2025
-
Health Psychopaths and the Rest of Us Laura Smith Searching for empathy with those society deems unforgivable.—
hazlitt.net,
hazlitt.net,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump’s explicit threats against the Bidens, and his record of trying to politicize the Justice Department and FBI, almost justify an unpardonable pardon, columnist Jackie Calmes writes.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Dec. 2024
-
In her small and deeply Catholic community, suicide is an unpardonable sin, so a horrible crime lures her with the promise of escape.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
29 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
But Canadian model and actress Kat Pasion, whose credits include Altered Carbon, The Flash and Nancy Drew, appears in the ID series to help corroborate the vicious abuse and assaults that Ventura allegedly endured and chronicled in her landmark civil suit.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Combined with a vicious splitter, which is one of the best in the world right now, Sasaki has proved unstoppable at times.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near indefensible
Cite this Entry
“Indefensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indefensible. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share