1
as in inaccessible
hard or impossible to get to or get at
an eagle's nest in an unattainable location
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impossible
incapable of being solved or accomplished
unfortunately, world peace is probably an unattainable ideal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unattainable
Today, compromise can seem unattainable.
—
Karen Schlatter, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Herd immunity is about more than just eliminating transmission by reaching an often unattainable threshold of population-level protection.
—Virginia E. Pitzer, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026
In the case of a sacrosanct, seemingly unattainable number like Kobe’s 81, chasing a stat doesn’t feel so different from chasing a ring.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
But that goal will be difficult—verging on unattainable—and would likely require a lengthy military commitment.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unattainable
Karen Schlatter, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Herd immunity is about more than just eliminating transmission by reaching an often unattainable threshold of population-level protection.
—Virginia E. Pitzer, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026
In the case of a sacrosanct, seemingly unattainable number like Kobe’s 81, chasing a stat doesn’t feel so different from chasing a ring.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
But that goal will be difficult—verging on unattainable—and would likely require a lengthy military commitment.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unattainable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unattainable
Adjective
-
This land, now dotted with Russian mines, is currently inaccessible.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Legal support is inaccessible for too many.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s the kind of streak that should be impossible.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
So local schools and other governmental units presumably would have to ask for twice as much money to get the same amount, which might make such a deal financially impossible.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When asked April 11 if the closer would be unavailable to pitch, after having appeared in three consecutive games for the first time, the ex-reliever did not say yes.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
High-end ordnance used up in Iran is ordnance unavailable for other contingencies, whether in Europe or the Indo-Pacific.—
Jon Duffy,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Kay seems to be more of a relentless romantic than a hopeless one.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Swiss Eugen Bleuler, a follower of Kraepelin, replaced the term dementia praecox, which implied hopeless deterioration, with the softer term schizophrenia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Their first meeting in 2015, a tactical Mayweather victory in one of the most lucrative bouts in boxing history, has lingered as a stubborn footnote in Pacquiao’s otherwise untouchable résumé.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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But getting to $5 billion won’t be easy, in part because the biggest portion of the city’s budget is considered untouchable.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There is Tamara, a city where signs symbolize unobtainable meanings.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Prices are inflated in January and, as Everton found, many top targets are often unobtainable.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unattainable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unattainable. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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