1
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed
an irretrievable drug addict who had wasted a once-promising life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irreparable
not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone
this is just an irretrievable mess, so let's start all over again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irretrievable
Days before, Sheriff Nanos had said images were irretrievable.
—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026
This dreamscape of the island, like that of the jungle, illuminates in children’s literature a sense of utopia and longing about childhood as a not-quite-place, situated in an irretrievable past-yet-future, while at the same time rooted in an anti-utopian logic of adulthood.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Alcaraz broke the Italian twice, winning the set with an incredible backhand flick from what looked like an irretrievable position and cupping his ear.
—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
There is a genuinely irretrievable, ephemeral, low-res version of the movie.
—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for irretrievable
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026
This dreamscape of the island, like that of the jungle, illuminates in children’s literature a sense of utopia and longing about childhood as a not-quite-place, situated in an irretrievable past-yet-future, while at the same time rooted in an anti-utopian logic of adulthood.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Alcaraz broke the Italian twice, winning the set with an incredible backhand flick from what looked like an irretrievable position and cupping his ear.
—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
There is a genuinely irretrievable, ephemeral, low-res version of the movie.
—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for irretrievable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irretrievable
Adjective
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The 41-year-old Portuguese footballer managed to put two past a hopeless Uzbekistan, becoming the first player to score in six consecutive World Cups.
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The conflict feels contemporary without growing too cynical, and the core relationship stakes seem real without skewing hopeless.
Adjective
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The lawsuit states that Kuka has singlehandedly caused irreparable harm to Boca View by refusing to abide by Florida law and the association’s own bylaws in order to further her self-serving agenda.
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And there’s no guarantee that Illinois would grant the license, threatening irreparable harms, including income and reputation loss, Kalshi argued.
Adjective
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Patients with incurable or irreversible conditions will no longer have to certify annually.
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She had been diagnosed in 2006 — at age 46 — with late-stage follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which has long been deemed incurable.
Adjective
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Patients with incurable or irreversible conditions will no longer have to certify annually.
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Adding a requirement for explicit user confirmation when sensitive or irreversible actions are about to be taken.
Adjective
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Countless documents were left lying out in the open and quickly became irrecoverable.
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At the same time, much of the world is facing water bankruptcy, meaning people and industries are using more fresh water than nature can replenish, leading to irrecoverable ecosystem damages.
Adjective
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The business also has made Space Shuttle drag parachutes for the orbiter, and parachutes that deploy from the tails of F-22 and F-35 military jets to break them from unrecoverable stalls or spins.
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By the time the offline assay confirmed what the cells were doing, hours had passed, and the batch was unrecoverable.
Adjective
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Many of the country’s top psychiatric groups warn that there is no empirical standard for determining whether a mental-health condition is irremediable.
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Any RVs at the encampment found to have long-term rat infestations will be classified as irremediable biohazards and destroyed, according to the notice.
Adjective
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The rigidity and delusions of tyrannies are incorrigible; their purity spirals end in executions, not just cancellations; their adventures end in devastation and slaughter.
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Nilsson, an incorrigible Midwesterner, had a history of downplaying her depth.
Cite this Entry
“Irretrievable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irretrievable. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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