1
as in defendable
capable of being defended against physical attack
the soldiers' encampment on the open plain was not tenable, so they retreated to higher ground
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifiable
capable of being defended with good reasoning against verbal attack
the tenable theory that a giant meteor strike set off a chain of events resulting in the demise of the dinosaurs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tenable
That position may not be tenable after Friday.
—
Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
With India’s economy punching below its weight, however, Modi’s inner circle realizes the status quo is no longer tenable.
—Milan Vaishnav, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025
Taking what might feel like a gap year might not be tenable for all kinds of reasons.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Figuring out a tenable future with Hendrickson’s contract is part of this, too.
—Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
With India’s economy punching below its weight, however, Modi’s inner circle realizes the status quo is no longer tenable.
—Milan Vaishnav, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025
Taking what might feel like a gap year might not be tenable for all kinds of reasons.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Figuring out a tenable future with Hendrickson’s contract is part of this, too.
—Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenable
Adjective
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But even defensive gun uses that are ultimately ruled to be justifiable often result in legal consequences—investigations, charges, grand-jury proceedings, and sometimes trials.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
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There is a justifiable public-health rationale for going after these shops.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the first two weeks of the season, the 29-year-old pass rusher has recorded six tackles and a defended pass.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Integrate archiving with centralized policy controls, permissions and defensible deletion workflows.—
Sean Nathaniel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Her department does about 15 to 20 pre-sale inspections per month and conducts annual defensible space inspections.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman and John Turturro all secured nominations in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category; meanwhile, Patricia Arquette is competing for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
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Despite questions surrounding his confirmation, Hegseth secured support in January from all but three Republicans to become Defense secretary with a 51-50 vote as Vice President JD Vance broke the tie.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After walking away from the semi-protected working environment of Anderson’s film, Hoffman followed the advice of some peers and enrolled in an acting school in New York to hone his craft.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
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The study underscores the threat extreme heat poses to birds in tropical regions and helps explain why birds are dying even in remote and protected areas, typically considered havens of biodiversity.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Proton is commonly used by people seeking highly secure communications and has been blocked in countries with strict internet censorship, like Russia and Turkey.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
13 Sep. 2025
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The wages Mendoza offered could change her son’s future, or at the very least secure it the way her father had done for her.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenable. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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