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
Even though tariffs on Chinese goods have now been lowered to 30% from 145%, this is still barely tenable.
—
Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The status quo is not tenable — and survival will not be granted to those who simply wait it out.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
His vote, combined with his leadership in pushing the bill forward, has fueled speculation about whether his position atop the Democratic Senate caucus remains tenable.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Hezbollah’s previous resistance to international pressure now seems less tenable.
—Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The status quo is not tenable — and survival will not be granted to those who simply wait it out.
—Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
His vote, combined with his leadership in pushing the bill forward, has fueled speculation about whether his position atop the Democratic Senate caucus remains tenable.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Hezbollah’s previous resistance to international pressure now seems less tenable.
—Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tenable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenable
Adjective
-
Unlike earlier studies that uncovered evasion or deception, this research exposed a more alarming phenomenon: models calculating that unethical behavior was a justifiable strategy for survival.—
Hamilton Mann,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
Murder, then, has already been established as a justifiable means of protection.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Neighbors could coordinate to buy up and swap vacant land parcels to create a defensible space with fire-resistant trees like oak to serve as fire breaks and water storage to help respond to future blazes.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
19 July 2025
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Blanket exclusions for convictions are no longer legally defensible.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
While their Medicaid enrollment appears to be secure, at least for now, the new law adds red tape and more opportunities for enrollees like the O'Banners to fall through the cracks and lose coverage.—
Stephanie Innes,
AZCentral.com,
23 July 2025
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Turn on automatic updates so your software stays secure.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenable. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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