as in opposites
something that is as different as possible from something else
the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraries
opposites
Noun
-
To me, the best friends to hang out with are those that, despite our commonality, are opposites of me in some ways as well.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026 -
Authoritarianism and libertarianism are commonly thought of as opposites—two poles on a political spectrum.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Contraries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraries. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
