the unthinkable
noun
: something that one cannot accept, believe, or imagine
especially
: something that is so bad that one does not want to think about it
And then, the unthinkable happened: the car skidded out of control and crashed.
Examples of the unthinkable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Will Boston take care of business, or will Dallas do the unthinkable?
—
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 15 June 2024
Shown on film, the view is often accompanied by haunting music meant to evoke the unthinkable crimes that took place here.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 12 June 2024
After retiring two hitters in quick order, the unthinkable happened.
—Abbey Mastrocco, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2024
Shortly after Yates’ husband Rusty Yates left for work at the Johnson Space Center, the unthinkable happened.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for the unthinkable 
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 15 June 2024
Shown on film, the view is often accompanied by haunting music meant to evoke the unthinkable crimes that took place here.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 12 June 2024
After retiring two hitters in quick order, the unthinkable happened.
—Abbey Mastrocco, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2024
Shortly after Yates’ husband Rusty Yates left for work at the Johnson Space Center, the unthinkable happened.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for the unthinkable
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the unthinkable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the unthinkable
Cite this Entry
“The unthinkable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20unthinkable. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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