How to Use unobtainable in a Sentence

unobtainable

adjective
  • Ruth’s record seemed more unobtainable with each strikeout and pop-up.
    — Edward Kosner, WSJ, 12 Apr. 2018
  • The good news is that there’s evidence this goal might not be as unobtainable as many fear.
    — The New Yorker, 2 May 2022
  • The younger son has been madly in love with the local mob boss's daughter, who seems unobtainable.
    — Clark Collis, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2021
  • The house, the cars, and the security that seemed so unobtainable back then have come through work and time.
    — Wes Siler, Outside Online, 19 Sep. 2024
  • The smaller skiffs lining the pier sit unused, with kerosene unobtainable.
    — Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2022
  • And the genius of Jesse is, even in death, Logan is unobtainable.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2023
  • The Venus, with its fleshy butt and ample stomach would have been the unobtainable body standard for women of the day.
    — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2022
  • College seemed unobtainable, so Beaver worked in fast-food restaurants, working his way up to manager.
    — Gabrielle Russon, OrlandoSentinel.com, 17 July 2017
  • Few would deny the model serves as a poster child for the current era of skyrocketing demand for unobtainable steel sport models.
    — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2021
  • The nation has been on a decade-long bourbon binge, making the rarest bottles increasingly unobtainable.
    — Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2022
  • Getting that balance is pretty much unobtainable.
    — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
  • There is Tamara, a city where signs symbolize unobtainable meanings.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Fans of sneakers and single malts are all too familiar unobtainable releases.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2023
  • But a lack of Western support doesn’t necessarily mean parts and spares will be unobtainable.
    — Eric Tegler, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2022
  • But using leverage to gain something that otherwise would be unobtainable is not uncommon.
    — Dan Walters, SFChronicle.com, 3 July 2018
  • The current level of EV sales in Europe suggests this goal is unobtainable.
    — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • For the first time this season, Xavier went on the road and proved that putting together 40 minutes of toughness isn't unobtainable.
    — Adam Baum, Cincinnati.com, 23 Dec. 2019
  • Scott’s attorneys said the rapper’s phone fell to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and the records were unobtainable.
    — Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
  • Inevitably, there will be simplifications, and some data are likely to be unobtainable.
    — Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022
  • The first was Tom Ford, a designer whose runways are routinely filled with near-unobtainable glamour.
    — Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2019
  • Electricity was rare, and clean water was nearly unobtainable.
    — Chantha Nguon, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2024
  • The goal is to focus on a clear, authentic message that highlights your real expertise and values, rather than chasing unobtainable trends.
    — Rhett Power, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • For many buyers, an extra $400 a month can make homeownership unobtainable.
    — Michael Joseph, Fortune, 23 May 2022
  • Firearms are largely unobtainable for ordinary Chinese, and such attacks are more often carried out with knives or homemade explosives.
    — Bloomberg.com, 17 July 2017
  • Fortunately for readers, the author doesn’t just look to the distant and possibly unobtainable past; many of the later vintages covered toward the end of the book are still in the market.
    — Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2022
  • Even basic hygiene products such as hand sanitizer were unobtainable in Mandalay, Kyaw Oo said.
    — Paul Salopek, National Geographic, 6 Apr. 2020
  • Prices are inflated in January and, as Everton found, many top targets are often unobtainable.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Some of us forever pine after the unobtainable, choosing to dwell in the heady space of the impossible crush rather than actually deal with something real and tangible.
    — Richard Lawson, Vanities, 13 Jan. 2017
  • The homes fill a need, providing lodging that is otherwise unobtainable and often larger and more cost-effective for family groups than several hotel rooms or suites.
    — Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2021
  • Mortgage companies usually require at least a 5% deposit, a figure that is all but unobtainable for a young family on a tight budget — without access to the bank of mom and dad.
    — Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY, 12 May 2017

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

Last Updated: