as in discord
a lack of agreement or harmony
the dissonance between what we are told and what we see with our own eyes
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dissonance
The dissonance is subtle but persistent.
—
Lela London, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
But McAdams’ performance is so rigorously committed that dissonance becomes the point and her oceanside glow-up steers the film’s second half.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
There was a distinct, almost electric dissonance humming through the Chase Center on Tuesday night.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The dissonance between those two things was really strange.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissonance
Lela London, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
But McAdams’ performance is so rigorously committed that dissonance becomes the point and her oceanside glow-up steers the film’s second half.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
There was a distinct, almost electric dissonance humming through the Chase Center on Tuesday night.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The dissonance between those two things was really strange.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissonance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonance
Noun
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The proposal has sparked Democratic discord ahead of 2026’s governor’s race, though neither billionaire has explicitly blamed the effort for their actions.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Celebrate with an activity that allows for big release of energies, something athletic or competitive; a sedentary pleasure could lead to discord.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Britain had split the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before that colony gained independence, something that has been a source of diplomatic friction as well as multiple legal battles with locals who were evicted.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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But a reoccurring point of friction and, really, anger on my part is over the dishwashing and laundry at our house.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
19 Nov. 2025
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The sport of off-roading suffers from a fundamental discordance: The desire to get out into nature and the irreparable harm inherent in the process of off-roading.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
25 July 2025
Noun
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The film ruminates on guilt, familial strife, and trauma with Ball’s signature bittersweet touch, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Television Movie.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
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When the nation is split because American values are in question or disregarded, strife ensues.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images Four years of war between Russia and Ukraine are beginning to take their toll on the countries' demographics as the conflict puts women off — or prevents them — from starting or expanding their families.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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Europe’s is a false economy, spending less now, but risking spending far more if the conflict spreads in the future.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The discordancy is so intriguing — like learning that Katharine Graham went to nude encounter sessions at Esalen, or Alan Greenspan was once in a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
17 Nov. 2021
Noun
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Melissa Barrera, who starred in the fifth and sixth movies, was fired from the seventh installment in 2023 after expressing support for the Palestinian cause and criticizing Israeli actions in the Israel-Hamas war.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
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The tribute underscored the enduring legacy of the war, even as contemporary tensions on the peninsula went unaddressed in the speech.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Schmidt used more colorful language to describe Pack, attributing the schism to personality.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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There are still some trustbusters in the administration, especially at the FTC, which has avoided being pulled into messy lobbyist fights and White House schisms.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonance. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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