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 Before and after that dubious achievement, Milwaukee got hit with a ton of snow, and because the city did not yet have alternate-side-of-the-street parking restrictions in place, some neighborhoods were impassable, with plows unable to dig between parked cars on both sides of the street. Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024 Its geographic isolation is compounded by spotty broadband and dirt roads that become impassable with mud in heavy rains. Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024 The mountainous jungle area was until very recently considered practically impassable; no roads run through it. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 5 Jan. 2024 Magma shifting under Earth’s crust had produced tens of thousands of earthquakes in the area in October and November, damaging buildings and splitting open roads, leaving some impassable. Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023 The rain is not expected to let up, and water levels in streams and rivers will continue to rise, making some roadways impassable. Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2024 Officials say possible flooding, debris and mud flows could make roads in the area impassable. Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2024 An additional 500 families (many with two cars) simply would make this corridor nearly impassable at certain times. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024 Several of the team's players then had to be transported from their homes by snowmobile because conditions had made roads impassable. Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impassable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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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