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
The paradox of this quartet of movies up for the new casting Oscar, all boldly peopled with nonprofessionals, is that this very practice has become professionalized.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
The ancient Greek philosopher Zeno used it to concoct all sorts of paradoxes.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 25 Feb. 2026
Human nature is a paradox, with its mixture of vegetative, natural elements and its spiritual or ghostly components.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
This is a perpetual paradox in films dealing with subjects such as child abuse, however, and is not a Gordian knot that a single film can be expected to unravel.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
The ancient Greek philosopher Zeno used it to concoct all sorts of paradoxes.
—Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 25 Feb. 2026
Human nature is a paradox, with its mixture of vegetative, natural elements and its spiritual or ghostly components.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
This is a perpetual paradox in films dealing with subjects such as child abuse, however, and is not a Gordian knot that a single film can be expected to unravel.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paradox
Noun
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As a veteran of the beauty industry, Martinez understands this dichotomy all too well.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
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As both Dombrowski and Mattingly conceded, however, there’s a delicate dichotomy from being in the clubhouse with the players every day and having a relative in the front office.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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What starts out as a murder mystery set amid Oxford’s dreaming spires becomes a globe-trotting adventure with a very personal angle for Holmes and family.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
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El Niño cycles So scientists went digging for answers to the mystery heat, tapping ideas from volcanoes to the sun to the clouds floating overhead.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That contradiction sits at the heart of a broader experience Zegler described during the interview.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
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That’s a contradiction that lies at the heart of the Xinjiang‑cotton question.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The labor market has been its own enigma.—
Brian Cheung,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
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Madrid’s president, who celebrates his 79th birthday on Sunday, is something of an enigma.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The show’s postcard-ready shots of the northern countryside, with its verdant hills and winding roads, are another incongruity, belying the challenges of survival there for those on the fringes.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2026
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Not a single critic of the book was struck by the incongruity of this failure in basic thriller plotting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paradox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paradox. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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