as in unacceptable
too bad to be excused or justified
the city's lack of preparedness for a major natural disaster was utterly indefensible
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Recent Examples of indefensible
Kennedy’s approach to the ongoing outbreak, and to infectious disease in general, is indefensible.
—
Dallas Morning News, Twin Cities, 8 May 2025
For decades, transfer remained the third rail of Israeli politics - so extreme, so indefensible, that it could not be spoken of in polite company.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
The 15% rate may be harsh and unwise, but 70% can seem indefensible.
—George Calhoun, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
That a majority of this court now rewards the government for its behavior with discretionary equitable relief is indefensible.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indefensible
Dallas Morning News, Twin Cities, 8 May 2025
For decades, transfer remained the third rail of Israeli politics - so extreme, so indefensible, that it could not be spoken of in polite company.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
The 15% rate may be harsh and unwise, but 70% can seem indefensible.
—George Calhoun, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
That a majority of this court now rewards the government for its behavior with discretionary equitable relief is indefensible.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indefensible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indefensible
Adjective
-
And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
-
Tools that pose an unacceptable threat to rights or safety are banned outright.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
And without consumers, infrastructure investment remains commercially unjustifiable.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
That this reaction was unjustifiable, greater in force than any force exerted by my father, only exacerbated my state.—
Jonathon Sturgeon,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Playoff droughts like the one the team went through over the previous four seasons have gone from the norm to inexcusable.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Leaving an unpadded metal roller on the edge of the field is inexcusable.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The concept is both simple and outrageous — an interview done while guests eat a series of chicken wings of increasing spice levels, often with disorienting discomfort — and the show has become a popular sensation and an essential stop on the modern celebrity promotional tour.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Yet as outrageous as this bait and switch was, the trash fee scheme is also awful for many other reasons.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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There are people of goodwill who think the way out of this insupportable situation lies in the fight for equal democratic rights in a single state for everyone living in the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.—
Michelle Goldberg,
The Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2024
Adjective
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Hristo Stoichkov played with an intimidating edge that could both win games and cross an unforgivable line.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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The second was the unforgivable move by Bob Irsay in 1984 to take the beloved Colts out of Baltimore and move them to Indianapolis.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
If Sam is wrong, his journalistic sin is unpardonable.—
Neal B. Freeman,
National Review,
13 May 2025
-
Attacking innocent citizens, in this case tourists, is utterly appalling and unpardonable.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There are other objects of worship from the days when Japan’s Christians had to hide from vicious persecution, including a ceramic bottle of holy water from Nakaenoshima, an island where Hidden Christians were martyred in the 1620s.—
Foster Klug,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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Years before the Kendrick Lamar and Drake imbroglio, Pusha T shared his own vicious diss track against the Canadian hip-hop superstar.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indefensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indefensible. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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