as in contradictions
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another
the paradox of fighting a war for peace
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Recent Examples of paradoxes
The film lays bare the tensions and paradoxes of nuclear deterrence, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which advocates for nuclear arms control.
—
Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
It can be built, measured, and lived through five core competencies—each of which enables HR to manage paradoxes rather than collapse them.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Especially because the paradoxes only get stronger from Scorpio to Pisces.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025
Through awe-inspiring visuals and a narration from the filmmaker combining poetry, science and emotions, the film explores the paradoxes of our time.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
This engagement was rife with paradoxes and contradictions.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Normally, going back in time introduces all sorts of nasty paradoxes, like the infamous grandfather paradox, or, less violently, inconsistent histories.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Jan. 2025
These paradoxes twist around the game like briars around an enchanted tower; at the window stands the dungeon master.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
Emily regaled the group with explanations of fractals and infinity paradoxes.
—Hazlitt, 9 Dec. 2024
Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
It can be built, measured, and lived through five core competencies—each of which enables HR to manage paradoxes rather than collapse them.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Especially because the paradoxes only get stronger from Scorpio to Pisces.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025
Through awe-inspiring visuals and a narration from the filmmaker combining poetry, science and emotions, the film explores the paradoxes of our time.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
This engagement was rife with paradoxes and contradictions.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Normally, going back in time introduces all sorts of nasty paradoxes, like the infamous grandfather paradox, or, less violently, inconsistent histories.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Jan. 2025
These paradoxes twist around the game like briars around an enchanted tower; at the window stands the dungeon master.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
Emily regaled the group with explanations of fractals and infinity paradoxes.
—Hazlitt, 9 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paradoxes
Noun
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The Maduro government has seized on these contradictions to argue that the campaign is politically motivated.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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For the creation of wonderful characters and a story that feels spontaneous yet precise in its depiction of power, its moral dilemmas, and the absurd contradictions with the human condition.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sign up for Being Human, our newsletter that explores wellness culture, human behavior, mortality and disease, and other mysteries of the body and the mind.—
Helen Ouyang,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
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All these small pleasures that most children know are still mysteries to her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Over time, the fate of the footage has become one of the biggest enigmas in Hollywood history.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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Unexplained aerial phenomena, commonly branded as UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) and more recently as UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), remain one of history’s most enduring enigmas.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Desai’s multipart meet-cute lets her challenge neat old-world–new-world dichotomies.—
Sanjena Sathian,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paradoxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paradoxes. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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