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
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Recent Examples of iconoclastic
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
When Karin carried on that group’s theatrics and iconoclastic spirit into their solo work as Fever Ray, Olof slipped out of the spotlight.
—Will Lynch, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Ted Turner, an outspoken, iconoclastic businessman, media mogul and philanthropist whose visionary creation of a 24-hour news network changed the landscape of television, and news, forever, died at 87.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Massie’s campaign had erected a large tent there, in anticipation that a big crowd would flock to hear perhaps the most outspoken and iconoclastic Republican in Congress.
—Joshua Green, Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026
Phillippe, who has a multi-year deal, will star as a brilliant, iconoclastic detective who moves to Nashville from New York.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
And Marc Malkin brings us a Just for Variety interview with John Waters, the iconoclastic director who turns 80 on April 22.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
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
When Karin carried on that group’s theatrics and iconoclastic spirit into their solo work as Fever Ray, Olof slipped out of the spotlight.
—Will Lynch, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Ted Turner, an outspoken, iconoclastic businessman, media mogul and philanthropist whose visionary creation of a 24-hour news network changed the landscape of television, and news, forever, died at 87.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Massie’s campaign had erected a large tent there, in anticipation that a big crowd would flock to hear perhaps the most outspoken and iconoclastic Republican in Congress.
—Joshua Green, Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026
Phillippe, who has a multi-year deal, will star as a brilliant, iconoclastic detective who moves to Nashville from New York.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
And Marc Malkin brings us a Just for Variety interview with John Waters, the iconoclastic director who turns 80 on April 22.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for iconoclastic
Adjective
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Together, they were recently elected to a Miami support committee for the Concilio Cubano dissident group in Cuba.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
-
And major Russian language book fairs, focused on dissident literature, are becoming more common across Europe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Pratt, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the race’s most unconventional and unpredictable candidates.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
Last year, Smith acknowledged the artsy small city is an unconventional place to find world-class pizza.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.—
Elizabeth Sander,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Aug. 2022
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The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
3 June 2022
Adjective
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As a symbol of national ingenuity and know-how, the frosty specimen is kind of out-there.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
As a performer, these characters are out-there.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Drunkenness, like madness, protects the messengers of heretical truth from disbelief, disdain, and retaliation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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This heretical policy gets some support from yet another rigid convention, that of credits, which separates directors from screenwriters.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Iconoclastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/iconoclastic. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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