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Recent Examples of counterfactual
In Dark Matter, a parallel-universe version of Chicago as a desolate wasteland is more obviously counterfactual—and thus less uncanny—than a parallel universe in which the main character’s wife had not given up her career as an artist to have children.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Such speculations can be amusing and interesting but, like much counterfactual history, they cannot be tested.
—Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
Ferguson, who has published a collection of counterfactual histories, is an outlier among academics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Apparently getting an intrinsic reward for others’ wellbeing will take coordination only so far, without counterfactual reasoning to tell you if your actions are directly responsible for others’ behavior.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2019
See All Example Sentences for counterfactual
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Such speculations can be amusing and interesting but, like much counterfactual history, they cannot be tested.
—Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
Ferguson, who has published a collection of counterfactual histories, is an outlier among academics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Apparently getting an intrinsic reward for others’ wellbeing will take coordination only so far, without counterfactual reasoning to tell you if your actions are directly responsible for others’ behavior.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2019
See All Example Sentences for counterfactual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterfactual
Adjective
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But those who in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made erroneous predictions of imminent mass starvation erred by underestimating the world‑changing potential of grasses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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Complaints vary from inquiries sent through the website going unanswered and erroneous card charges to broken or ineffective merchandise.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In addition, White House officials were stating publicly that Flynn and Kislyak had not discussed sanctions, which the FBI knew was untrue.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
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Ledford refuted that claim as hurtful and untrue in a 2021 Washington Post interview.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Federal authorities announced an investigation Friday of two immigration officers who appeared to have made untruthful statements under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis last month.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Trump, of course, was rude, untruthful, and excessively, if not quite so egregiously, long-winded in his first term, too.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Physicists treat the volume of the black hole as illusory, like a hologram.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
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If the recent leftward shift is sustained, or the earlier shift to the right was illusory, the effects on the politics of 2026 could be large, potentially putting control of Congress in the hands of Latino voters.—
Gary M. Segura,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One requires election records to be maintained for 22 months, while the other prohibits procuring, casting or tabulating false, fictitious or fraudulent ballots.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Rogen, who in the show plays fictitious studio head Matt Remick, briefly attended the festival in September to do research.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The food arrived on a mottled brown ceramic plate, its inexact edges forming something between a circle and an octagon.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
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Comparisons between Prime Video and other streamers are inexact because the benefits of a Prime membership include free shipping on e-commerce orders, Whole Foods discounts and other perks.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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However, the process still remains the critical weak point of modern-day aviation, as predictions rely heavily on subjective and often inaccurate pilot reports.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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To be sure, economic forecasts are often inaccurate.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Winds high above Saturn were generating electrical currents, creating a misleading auroral signal that mimicked changes in rotation.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
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Parts of the ballot language backing a tax on second homes in San Diego are misleading and must be amended, a judge ruled Thursday.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterfactual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfactual. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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