How to Use untenable in a Sentence

untenable

adjective
  • Glennon's eight turnovers in the last three games are untenable.
    — Rich Campbell, chicagotribune.com, 29 Sep. 2017
  • If extreme heat makes a trip untenable, there are ways to recoup costs.
    — ABC News, 8 June 2026
  • For some, the tidal wave of stress brought on by the pandemic has proved untenable.
    — New York Times, 3 Dec. 2020
  • Some Democrats, though, say that kind of spending is untenable.
    — Washington Post, 14 June 2019
  • Maybe long-term deals for ringless leaders are just untenable.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2025
  • That untenable speed-of-life is an all-ages affliction, though.
    — Chris Richards, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2023
  • As a retiree, this is untenable.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2026
  • But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
  • He’s made a mess of four of his last five appearances, an untenable rate of failure.
    — Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 10 May 2024
  • But that equation proved untenable for Iran.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • Some projects pose clear and untenable risks to the environment, but this is not one of them.
    — Editorial Board, Star Tribune, 20 May 2021
  • Our post-Roe land will force many more women to make these untenable choices.
    — Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023
  • That’s untenable for many people who have nowhere safe to leave their pets or possessions.
    — Calmatters, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
  • As with much else in Iran, the status quo appears untenable.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
  • In the absence of these reforms, the status quo is untenable.
    — Mona Yacoubian, Foreign Affairs, 3 Oct. 2024
  • Ranting at my wife’s sisters would be a waste of time, but sitting here in silent anger is untenable as well.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Put enough shooting on the floor and even switching becomes untenable.
    — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, 31 May 2018
  • But all in all, life for Dowling, who died at the age of 35, was untenable.
    — Eileen Kelley, sun-sentinel.com, 25 July 2021
  • How were we supposed to go on when the simple act of gathering now posed an untenable risk?
    — Julie Oh, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2022
  • The plight of the producer is untenable.
    — Ted Hope, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Pratt is so clearly in love with his kids that to let any suggestion to the contrary go by is untenable.
    — Mickey Rapkin, Men's Health, 28 June 2022
  • Living with such a high risk of violence is clearly untenable, in the long term.
    — Tara Law, Time, 3 June 2022
  • The congestion and strain traffic puts on our canyons is untenable and will only get worse.
    — Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 June 2021
  • And the company will need to set a price that doesn’t make that argument untenable.
    — Damian Garde, STAT, 22 Dec. 2022
  • Well, the thought of other people talking behind her back is untenable for her.
    — Marcus Jones, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2021
  • Adding more debt to your budget in the first half of the week can create an untenable situation.
    — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2021
  • The low water makes many of our classic spring bays untenable for the fish because the water is too skinny.
    — Jill Dutton, Field & Stream, 11 Mar. 2021
  • But that stance became untenable in recent weeks as Covid-19 has run through the state.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN, 17 Nov. 2020
  • The rising cost of living has become untenable for many locals.
    — Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 Dec. 2025
  • But that stance is becoming untenable.
    — Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026

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

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