1
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed
unfortunately, he was destined to live out his days as an irrecoverable alcoholic
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irreversible
not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone
one computer file proved to be irrecoverable after the crash
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of irrecoverable
Broadly speaking, this is probably not irrecoverable damage to the ecosystem.
—
Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 19 July 2025
Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation.
—Dan Catchpole, USA Today, 18 July 2025
Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787’s engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 16 July 2025
Crestfallen fans have begun demanding refunds for hundreds of dollars in ticket purchases to defray irrecoverable travel and lodging costs.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 11 July 2025
Customs Duty, which is irrecoverable. Import VAT, which can be reclaimed, provided correct steps are taken.
—Robert Marchant, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
The contents of the time capsule may become irrecoverable.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Half of it goes to the nearby Hardy River, in an attempt to revive ecosystems that were thought to be irrecoverable.
—Geraldine Castro, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025
During the Kursk operation, the enemy has already lost over 38,000 soldiers in this single direction alone, with approximately 15,000 of them irrecoverable losses.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 19 July 2025
Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation.
—Dan Catchpole, USA Today, 18 July 2025
Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787’s engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 16 July 2025
Crestfallen fans have begun demanding refunds for hundreds of dollars in ticket purchases to defray irrecoverable travel and lodging costs.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 11 July 2025
Customs Duty, which is irrecoverable. Import VAT, which can be reclaimed, provided correct steps are taken.
—Robert Marchant, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
The contents of the time capsule may become irrecoverable.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Half of it goes to the nearby Hardy River, in an attempt to revive ecosystems that were thought to be irrecoverable.
—Geraldine Castro, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025
During the Kursk operation, the enemy has already lost over 38,000 soldiers in this single direction alone, with approximately 15,000 of them irrecoverable losses.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrecoverable
Adjective
-
All that’s left is some hopeless cringe, stunt guest stars and unfunny jokes.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
All that's left is some hopeless cringe, stunt guest stars and unfunny jokes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In May 2014, NASA announced at a press conference that a portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet appeared to have reached a point of irreversible retreat.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Rising temperatures are wiping out the planet's warm-water coral reefs, and the dieback may be irreversible, according to the latest Global Tipping Points Report released by researchers worldwide.—
Robert Abitbol,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Alcaraz broke the Italian twice, winning the set with an incredible backhand flick from what looked like an irretrievable position and cupping his ear.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Choi seems to be exploring, if subtly, the limitless number of paths a person can take, the manifold consequences of choices that seem inconsequential, the ways interpersonal disputes can widen into irretrievable losses, the awkward intersections of agency and fate: If only this, if not for that.—
Book Marks
June 5,
Literary Hub,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The statements have caused irreparable harm because the government’s sustained public commentary, designed to further a political agenda, will have a prejudicial impact on a future jury.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Her fear is that either choice may cause irreparable harm.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Multi-year studies were interrupted and often unrecoverable, loss of support personnel to manage animal facilities and lack of resources to purchase mice, inability to purchase routine critical supplies and equipment.—
D. Scott Schmid,
Denver Post,
22 Sep. 2025
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Instead, in the U.S., projects are litigated and delayed, often to make the project economics untenable and the investment unrecoverable.—
Anna Broughel,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The new role comes amid Dane's public campaign to find federal funding for research on the incurable neurological disease.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Miners argue increased subjection to the dust has led to an eruption of black lung, an incurable disease associated with inhaling the particles.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irrecoverable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrecoverable. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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