as in paradox
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another
her outfit is a sartorial dichotomy: an elegant gown and ratty old tennis shoes
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Recent Examples of dichotomy
Her experience represents the dichotomy of the J-1 visa, at times an indelible, life-altering opportunity to travel to a new country, meet people from all over the world and earn a little money along the way.
—
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
The dichotomy between the grit and grime of her professional life and the pristine luxury of her time outside of the station is the goal.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
This dichotomy can lead to tensions between feeling and thinking, between being and doing.
—Katharina Fuchs, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2025
These false dichotomies are exhausting.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dichotomy
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
The dichotomy between the grit and grime of her professional life and the pristine luxury of her time outside of the station is the goal.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
This dichotomy can lead to tensions between feeling and thinking, between being and doing.
—Katharina Fuchs, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2025
These false dichotomies are exhausting.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dichotomy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dichotomy
paradox
Noun
-
Now, after eight years of investigation, the Aarhus team has finally decoded this vascular paradox.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Jan. 2026
-
But the paradox of AI progress is that all the commercial success of generative AI might actually stretch out the timeline and delay whatever comes after generative AI.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dichotomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dichotomy. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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