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
With a laugh, the British native charmingly embraces any international dissonances in play.
—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
For Obery Hendricks, an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church who teaches religion at Columbia University, the dissonance is both aesthetic and religious.
—
Jason Derose,
NPR,
26 May 2026
Davis understood dissonance wasn’t a drawback but an opportunity to explore.
—
Steven D. Reske,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Instruments and voices accumulate into immense, sustained, saturating dissonances, with a snare drum cutting through the tear-gas haze.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissonance
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
For Obery Hendricks, an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church who teaches religion at Columbia University, the dissonance is both aesthetic and religious.
—
Jason Derose,
NPR,
26 May 2026
Davis understood dissonance wasn’t a drawback but an opportunity to explore.
—
Steven D. Reske,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Instruments and voices accumulate into immense, sustained, saturating dissonances, with a snare drum cutting through the tear-gas haze.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dissonance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonance
Noun
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But the discord between the two leaders stretches far beyond disagreements over the conflict in the Middle East.
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Despite the discord, the regime is likely to have the final say.
Noun
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Daily stressors may stir up deeper internal friction.
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Below, Segert shares five strategic priorities for healthcare technology that reduces friction, automates administrative work and helps doctors deliver better patient care.
Noun
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Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define.
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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.
Noun
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The earthquakes have compounded problems created by years of economic and political strife, particularly for the overwhelmed healthcare system.
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The program was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters, civil strife and other instability.
Noun
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His father, Manuel Cepeda, was a prominent figure in the Colombian Communist Party, and was assassinated in 1994 during a particularly bloody era in Colombia's internal conflict.
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The town’s predicament highlights the limits of any ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, and the lingering hardship faced by residents whose lives have been upended by years of conflict.
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.
Noun
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Between February and August, fallout from the Iran war will have destroyed 800 million barrels of oil demand, JPMorgan estimates.
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Oil tanker traffic through Hormuz before the war might represent the high point for transits for the foreseeable future, said Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.
Noun
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Hussein’s killing cemented the schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam and remains a powerful symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice.
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Hussein’s killing is seen as having cemented the schism between Sunnis and Shiites, which stems from the early days of Islam and arguments over Muhammad’s successors as caliph, or leader.
Cite this Entry
“Dissonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonance. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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