iconoclastic

adjective

Definition of iconoclasticnext
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices the book offers iconoclastic and irreverent portraits of some of history's most sacred cows

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of iconoclastic Heti has been brought here by Justin Vernon, the 45-year-old creative force behind the iconoclastic indie act Bon Iver, long-running musical avatars of beautiful melancholia. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026 In a retrospective on her career, Sheridan acknowledged her iconoclastic nature. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 July 2026 But the truth is that our forefathers were sufficiently individualistic to be iconoclastic. — Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026 The cycle can probably only be broken only by the election of iconoclastic radical politicians. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 In a way, the fact that Huston was made up of two halves — one part iconoclastic maverick, one part old school craftsman — gave him an edge his fellow septuagenarians lacked. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 June 2026 The evening event in Portland is taking place two days before a Democratic primary that is still seen as Platner's to win, but which could provide clues as to whether enthusiasm for his iconoclastic candidacy has softened. — ABC News, 7 June 2026 Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique. — Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026 Demna’s iconoclastic approach seems to have remained the same, to let the ideas, the world around the clothes, speak louder than the designs themselves. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for iconoclastic
  1. dissident
  2. unconventional
  3. dissenting
  4. out-there
  5. heretical
Adjective
  • On July 19, Cuban artist and dissident Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived in Miami after a period when his whereabouts remained unknown following his release from Guanajay Prison.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026
  • The dissident Bull Moose Party nominated former President Teddy Roosevelt for president after Republicans declined to do so.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of dissident
Adjective
  • The result is one of the most unconventional short courses in the game.
    — Erik Matuszewski, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Once considered unprofessional or unconventional in some settings, tattoos have become far more accepted across generations.
    — Rachel Brown Kirkland, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • The Fed’s interest rate-setting committee is divided and saw the most dissenting votes in more than three decades last month.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
  • Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.
    — Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022
Definition of dissenting
Adjective
  • Guitarist Adam Turay and trumpeter Ryan Easter both come from the jazzier side of the tracks, the former playing with Afro-R&B group the Narcotix, the latter with more out-there units like WRENS.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
  • The classic straight-leg silhouette is relaxed throughout, providing ease and movement to the style, balancing the more out-there design details.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 28 June 2026
Definition of out-there
Adjective
  • In the 14th century, Bibles in English became associated with John Wycliffe, a priest who criticized corruption in the Catholic Church, and whose views on Holy Communion the church had declared heretical.
    — Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
  • This point can sound almost heretical in modern healthcare discourse, where prevention is frequently framed as both morally superior and financially inevitable.
    — Jeffrey Wessler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of heretical

Browse Nearby Words

iconoclast
iconoclastic
iconoclasts
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Cite this Entry

“Iconoclastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/iconoclastic. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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