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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paradox
As a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University a few years ago, Alexa Schmitz was trying to solve a paradox: To reduce the greenhouse gas emissions warming the Earth, the world needed new energy sources, like solar and wind power.
—
Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025
Here, Todd has his youngest character summarize the painful central paradox of trans life — in Nazi Germany nearly a century ago, and possibly in tomorrow’s America.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Israel’s mistrust of Shara’s government constitutes another paradox.
—Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2025
The ideal of defining masculinity for yourself is framed as liberating, but ignores a central paradox: boys are expected to be both successful and emotionally available, while the paths to achieving either feel increasingly out of reach.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025
Here, Todd has his youngest character summarize the painful central paradox of trans life — in Nazi Germany nearly a century ago, and possibly in tomorrow’s America.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Israel’s mistrust of Shara’s government constitutes another paradox.
—Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2025
The ideal of defining masculinity for yourself is framed as liberating, but ignores a central paradox: boys are expected to be both successful and emotionally available, while the paths to achieving either feel increasingly out of reach.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paradox
Noun
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The fear that optimizing for performance will dilute brands’ authenticity is a false dichotomy.—
Alex Khassa,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Sinners also offers a contemporary look into this racial dichotomy by subtly addressing the one-drop rule — a 1662 legal doctrine that declared anyone with any Black ancestry, regardless of how small, to be considered African American.—
Melanie Curry,
Refinery29,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Streep and Short’s characters got married in the fourth season of the murder mystery show and, in a too-sweet parallel, the two actors are rumored to be dating for real as well.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
5 May 2025
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Adding to the blow to the community and to Hackman’s fans, the causes of the couple’s deaths were initially a mystery until authorities discovered Arakawa had died first from a virus and Hackman passed away days later.—
Caren Bohan,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Noun
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This juxtaposition—and apparent contradiction—seems to be everywhere at the moment.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
2 May 2025
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At the same time, good hip-hop love songs are messy and irrational and full of contradictions.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2025
Noun
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The new research resolves a two-decade-long enigma relating to a bright flash that was observed coming from the magnetar SGR 1806-20—which lies some 42,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius—back in late 2004.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
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Just like the woman herself, Melania Trump’s wedding dress is a mystery wrapped in an enigma.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
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Understand nuance, relational differences, and can deal with incongruity.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paradox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paradox. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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