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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of non sequitur
These sequences can be beguilingly attractive, but their inclusions are complete non sequiturs — blink-and-you’ll-miss-it digressions toward a more engaging film.
—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Some, like the rapper, passed with flying colors, while others weren't sure what to make of the non sequitur.
—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
Tracy’s dialogue, though absent the staccato non sequiturs of the director’s earlier work, has a bracing nastiness; every visual flourish and every menacing thrum of the score, by Jerskin Fendrix, escalates the intensity of Stone and Plemons’s bravura showdown.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Long before Neeson would inherit the detective badge and a full clip of non sequiturs, Paramount announced Ed Helms would be taking on the Drebin role in 2013 with writers behind the Night at the Museum movies providing a script to revitalize the Naked Gun franchise.
—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for non sequitur
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Some, like the rapper, passed with flying colors, while others weren't sure what to make of the non sequitur.
—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
Tracy’s dialogue, though absent the staccato non sequiturs of the director’s earlier work, has a bracing nastiness; every visual flourish and every menacing thrum of the score, by Jerskin Fendrix, escalates the intensity of Stone and Plemons’s bravura showdown.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Long before Neeson would inherit the detective badge and a full clip of non sequiturs, Paramount announced Ed Helms would be taking on the Drebin role in 2013 with writers behind the Night at the Museum movies providing a script to revitalize the Naked Gun franchise.
—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for non sequitur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for non sequitur
Noun
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In conversation, Friedland is rapaciously curious, if slightly disorganized, prone to tangents that lead to a candidness that can verge on cringe or awkward.
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In a near-seven-minute tangent during Presti’s annual end-of-season availability, which ran almost two hours, Presti addressed the discourse surrounding SGA’s proclivity to draw fouls — a subject that swelled this season between opposing coaches and players to fans and pundits.
Noun
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Even Hauser can’t rescue this culturally insensitive, stereotype-perpetuating nonsense.
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Some beer companies even make canned versions of the drink, but forget that nonsense — there is nothing better than a fresh, handmade michelada.
Noun
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The kitchen is sleek and fully equipped for feeding a crowd, and the sleeping arrangements strike that rare balance between elevated and practical—proper suites for the adults and a bunk room that kids will immediately claim.
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This meant that men and women couldn't share beds, and the girls would have to bunk with one another.
Noun
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Brooks also taught Wilder how to take something funny, push it all the way to the point of absurdity, then keep going.
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The second lady is perhaps the most interesting figure in Trumpworld right now, and certainly the only one who understands the absurdity of it all.
Cite this Entry
“Non sequitur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/non%20sequitur. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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