as in paradox
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another
she's an incongruity: an impeccably groomed woman who keeps a messy house
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Recent Examples of incongruity
Recipe for a good joke A popular theory posits that most jokes consist of a mix of ambiguity, incongruity and a quick resolution of that incongruity.
—
Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
Kirby’s incongruity is terrifying, so said someone much wiser than me.
—Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Already concerned about the incongruity of having a comic yukking it up with what was happening with the AP and other outlets, the WHCA scrapped her.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incongruity
Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
Kirby’s incongruity is terrifying, so said someone much wiser than me.
—Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Already concerned about the incongruity of having a comic yukking it up with what was happening with the AP and other outlets, the WHCA scrapped her.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incongruity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incongruity
paradox
Noun
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This gets to the heart of a paradox in American politics.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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This paradox—seeing the system as rigged but loath to fall into the NPC pit—is emerging as a defining Gen Z quality.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incongruity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incongruity. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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