as in tangent
a statement that is not connected in a logical or clear way to anything said before it
We were talking about the new restaurant when she threw in some non sequitur about her dog.
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Recent Examples of non sequitur
Another weather metaphor, this one a veritable non sequitur; what does a summer breeze have to do with spontaneity or repetition?
—
Judy Berman, Time, 11 July 2025
Grok’s non sequiturs on the topic have been nothing short of absurd.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
For a show that delivers confounding non sequiturs on the regular (Corporate goat farm?
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025
This is a work in which the slapstick clowning and the tricky verbal non sequiturs should be merely the surface for roiling undercurrents of anguish, futility, despair and fear.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for non sequitur
Judy Berman, Time, 11 July 2025
Grok’s non sequiturs on the topic have been nothing short of absurd.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
For a show that delivers confounding non sequiturs on the regular (Corporate goat farm?
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025
This is a work in which the slapstick clowning and the tricky verbal non sequiturs should be merely the surface for roiling undercurrents of anguish, futility, despair and fear.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for non sequitur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for non sequitur
Noun
-
While giving an address, Trump went on a tangent about Meloni's physical appearance.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
When asked by moderator and podcast host Josh Horowitz if there would ever be a spinoff, Esmail took a tangent to answer the question, but wound up at the point.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lisha speaks nonsense — or is that because she is concussed?—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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Explaining exactly why this particular trend, like so many confounding memes and viral nonsense, will travel unbelievably far on the web, and elsewhere, is as easy as painting wind.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The living room is nearby and can be outfitted with a large sofa, or a daybed – or alternatively serve as a secondary bedroom with a double bed or bunks, depending on requirements.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Oct. 2025
-
On the table next to Captain Purdie’s bunk is what looks like a copper coin, a fringe of glutinous seaweed smothering it to the surface of the wood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Protesters have slammed the notions and multiple attendees wore inflatable frog and animal costumes to point to the absurdity of the claims of danger.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
18 Oct. 2025
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These acts of radical playfulness—the inflatable dance parties, the music, the absurdity—have become part of the city’s moral vocabulary.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Non sequitur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/non%20sequitur. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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