as in dichotomy
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another
the paradox of fighting a war for peace
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Recent Examples of paradox
Relational quantum mechanics uses similar ideas to make sense of all quantum paradoxes in a precise mathematical way.
—
Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
And the most powerful constraints are often paradoxes that can’t be resolved — only engaged.
—Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
In a hotel room, a melancholy sabra in his forties muses over the paradoxes of the historical destiny of the Jews.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The film lays bare the tensions and paradoxes of nuclear deterrence, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which advocates for nuclear arms control.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
And the most powerful constraints are often paradoxes that can’t be resolved — only engaged.
—Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
In a hotel room, a melancholy sabra in his forties muses over the paradoxes of the historical destiny of the Jews.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The film lays bare the tensions and paradoxes of nuclear deterrence, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which advocates for nuclear arms control.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paradox
Noun
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Here’s the interesting dichotomy about Brown’s comments and the obvious frustrations cracking around the locker room.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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But that’s the interesting dichotomy about who Prince was.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In the leadup to its debut, the Apple TV/Sony Pictures Television show has been shrouded in secrecy — a decision that lends itself supremely well to a mystery-box sci-fi thriller that is equal parts philosophical conundrum and blood-chilling horror.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
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When the day of the follow-up scan finally arrived, the mystery was solved—not triplets, but twins.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And that is why my first true voice—the one that could hold complexity, contradiction, grief, even anger—came in English.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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One skipped school day exposes the fractures of a family grieving in silence and the contradictions of love that shape her girlhood.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Further enigmas can be found elsewhere on public lands, including within state parks, recreational areas, and more.—
Mike Bezemek,
Outside,
29 Oct. 2025
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Soho House has always existed as something of an enigma to me.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That creates a certain level of incongruity on those campuses.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
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As the book progresses, some of the children in the photographs are older and more in control of their outward expression, but scraps of strangeness or incongruity always peek through.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paradox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paradox. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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