1
as in contradictory
being as different as possible
the other jurors seemed sure the defendant was guilty, but I came to the contrary conclusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mischievous
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
a contrary child who wouldn't behave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the contrary soldier is facing a court-martial for insubordination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in opposite
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrary
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
His couplets—stitched together by a rhyme—typically saunter in contrary directions.
—
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Raja Shehadeh,
The New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2023
And, it hadn’t been endorsed by big companies such as Pfizer, despite the company's claims to the contrary.
—
Sabrina Talbert,
Women's Health,
23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for contrary
Adjective
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your nonfiction development pipeline grow?
—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
His couplets—stitched together by a rhyme—typically saunter in contrary directions.
—
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
Soldiers, to the contrary, have regularly stood by as settlers engage in wanton violence against Palestinians.
—
Raja Shehadeh,
The New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2023
And, it hadn’t been endorsed by big companies such as Pfizer, despite the company's claims to the contrary.
—
Sabrina Talbert,
Women's Health,
23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for contrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrary
Adjective
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Inspectors from the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog will visit nuclear sites in Iran, its chief has said, after contradictory remarks from the US and Iran on whether those sites would be inspected as part of their agreement to end the war.
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Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio at the time defended the decision, claiming the ICC had issued a contradictory and flawed arrest warrant.
Adjective
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In House of the Dragon’s season 2 premiere, Aegon II brought him to a meeting where Jaehaerys II was mischievous and bored.
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The show features a wide cast of colorful characters, namely Ginger’s mother Lois (Laraine Newman), her quirky friends Dodie (Aspen Vincent) and Macie (Jackie Harris Greenberg), and her mischievous little brother Carl (Jeannie Elias).
Adjective
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This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.
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In 2000 at age 15, he was sent to live in Australia with a host family because his father thought Zhang was too rebellious to stay in China.
Noun
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Jensen Huang Says Agentic AI Makes Snowflake Stronger Then Jensen Huang walked on stage at GTC Taipei and said the opposite of what everyone feared.
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The two are still polar opposites; Sally is a dutiful mother who bakes beautiful cakes and avoids men while Gillian is all about finding literal Chads on Tinder.
Adjective
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Has Greta eaten or chewed on anything naughty?
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The play was naughty stuff in 1925, when the show, starring Tallulah Bankhead, got banned.
Adjective
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Starmer had previously vowed to stand in any formal Labour leadership race triggered by rebel lawmakers who feating a 2029 election wipeout sought to replace him.
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Many rebel groups are offshoots of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which had been fighting to overthrow the government since the 1960s and had been the country's largest guerrilla organization.
Adjective
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In two randomized trials conducted by Stanford economist Nick Bloom, for example, workers reported improved mental health, not worse.
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Heavy rain was bad enough, but lightning in the area is, obviously, nothing to be trifled with.
Adjective
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To a defiant Son, however, the party hasn’t even started.
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Terri Hupfer, draped in a Pride flag and a Giants’ issued Pride T-shirt, drove 90 minutes from her Delta home to join Tuesday’s pregame gathering, which was organized online and drew more media and police than defiant (or supportive) fans.
Cite this Entry
“Contrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrary. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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