as in insuperable
incapable of being defeated, overcome, or subdued
the familiar story of the underdog who ultimately triumphs despite insurmountable odds
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 insurmountable
The win gave Barcelona an insurmountable 16-point lead over second-place Real Madrid.
—
ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The requirement to print ballots one month before Election Day does not present an insurmountable obstacle to removing candidates; modern technology could facilitate supplemental ballots even within government bureaucracies, making the current restriction outdated.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
The amount of grief, from witnessing everything that’s happening, can feel insurmountable.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
The price barrier is, for nearly everyone, insurmountable, but Sotheby’s newfound accessibility in the Breuer is bringing virality to the once cloistered auction world.
—David Lê, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insurmountable
ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The requirement to print ballots one month before Election Day does not present an insurmountable obstacle to removing candidates; modern technology could facilitate supplemental ballots even within government bureaucracies, making the current restriction outdated.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
The amount of grief, from witnessing everything that’s happening, can feel insurmountable.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
The price barrier is, for nearly everyone, insurmountable, but Sotheby’s newfound accessibility in the Breuer is bringing virality to the once cloistered auction world.
—David Lê, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insurmountable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurmountable
Adjective
-
The company’s regulatory prospects may have indeed been insuperable, as many opined, but the bigger challenge is a familiar, having helped shape Walt Disney Corp.’s board choice for Bob Iger’s successor.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Raise the stakes, place insuperable obstacles before the protagonist, have the protagonist somehow surmount them while becoming braver and better.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The seemingly unconquerable fig butterwort (Ficaria verna) invades lowland valleys where seasonal floods carry little broken off bits downstream to sprout anywhere and everywhere.—
Paul Cappiello,
The Courier-Journal,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Mountains as towering, imposing and seemingly unconquerable landscapes have been metaphorically linked to power and challenge.—
Jenny Hall,
CNN Money,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tucker felt confident after the first run and was nearly invincible after the second.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
To recapture the feeling — that vital, invincible energy — of being in your prime?—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Dallas’ power play looks borderline unstoppable, and Minnesota’s penalty kill looks overwhelmed.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Goebbels with social media and artificial intelligence and multiple algorithms at his fingertips—and censorship power—would be unstoppable today.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But Rene faced this uphill climb with the same indomitable spirit that defined her, filling her days with smiles, prayers, good deeds and with adventures, especially after tests offered up hope that the disease had been halted.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Why book For its unbeatable position in the heart of Marais; a hop and a skip from the city’s most charismatic boutiques, stylish restaurants, and artisan coffee.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Laid-back Orange Beach offers the same unbeatable sugar-soft shoreline, plus family-friendly amusement and water parks, dolphin cruises, nature trails, championship golf, fishing excursions, and free concerts.—
Anne Olivia Bauso,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, like any good soldier, Meredith wasn’t going to be discouraged by a bunch of invulnerable avian tanks.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
25 Feb. 2026
-
That is partly because no other power had enjoyed America’s unique circumstances—largely invulnerable to foreign invasion, because of its strength and its distance from the other great powers, and thus able to deploy force thousands of miles from home without leaving itself at risk.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The multiple attacks could be a major victory for the jihadis in a city seen as impregnable, despite attackers often targeting troops and villages on the outskirts of the city.—
Haruna Umar,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The multiple attacks could be seen as a major victory for the jihadis in a city seen as impregnable despite the jihadis often targeting troops and villages on the outskirts of the city.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insurmountable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurmountable. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
