1
as in paradoxes
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another
a loving father as well as a ruthless killer, the gangster is a living contradiction
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in denials
a refusal to confirm the truth of a statement
the actress's contradiction of the marriage rumor caused quite a stir
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contradictions
Students should be encouraged to think historically, Zavala said, and to approach larger themes of colonization, erasure, power and to reflect on the way movements are shaped and the contradictions that occur within them.
—
Kristy Hutchings, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Miguel Díaz-Canel, the puppet president Raúl Castro appointed, has been left to manage the contradictions.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, her longtime producer, John Parrish, weaves a wicker basket of folk rock that, despite its apparent simplicity, feels—maybe for the first time—capacious enough to hold all of Harding’s contradictions.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Those quirks, those contradictions, work quite well for me.
—Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Even among some Republicans, the contradictions triggered rare public skepticism.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Taken on a trip to the island in the summer of 2024, the images serve as a physical representation of the modern world’s contradictions.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Theroux’s documentary captures glimpses of that world in all its absurdity, contradictions, and cruelty.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
Kristy Hutchings, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Miguel Díaz-Canel, the puppet president Raúl Castro appointed, has been left to manage the contradictions.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, her longtime producer, John Parrish, weaves a wicker basket of folk rock that, despite its apparent simplicity, feels—maybe for the first time—capacious enough to hold all of Harding’s contradictions.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Those quirks, those contradictions, work quite well for me.
—Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Even among some Republicans, the contradictions triggered rare public skepticism.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Taken on a trip to the island in the summer of 2024, the images serve as a physical representation of the modern world’s contradictions.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Theroux’s documentary captures glimpses of that world in all its absurdity, contradictions, and cruelty.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contradictions
Noun
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The only problem is, negotiating and understanding the subsequent paradoxes — which writer/director Shane Carruth made little effort to simplify — requires a PhD in high-level physics.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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These paradoxes have defined—or plagued—the theory since its inception more than a century ago.—
Tim Folger,
Scientific American,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Pritzker has said those denials were politically motivated.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Her covert affair with Davis became big news when a Chicago gossip columnist wrote a detailed account of their relationship in early 1958, including their plans to wed, despite their denials.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The family has had three rejections so far.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The partial rejections were issued March 9 by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, who agreed with the environmental group that the six air permits were insufficient.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contradictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contradictions. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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