How to Use contrary to in a Sentence

contrary to

preposition
  • Not showing up out of the bye week runs contrary to that.
    — Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • This seems contrary to the whole idea of giving a gift.
    — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
  • But contrary to what your toddler might think, the fun can’t last every hour of the day.
    — Parents, 3 July 2026
  • This allowed the train to move while the doors were open, contrary to the train’s fail-safe design.
    — Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, 27 June 2023
  • That is contrary to the First Amendment.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2025
  • But contrary to the eatery’s name in English, there are no burgers here.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 15 Aug. 2023
  • The second is that, contrary to much of the online discourse, this wasn’t a new thing.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 22 June 2025
  • Also, contrary to what folks might think, the ring doesn’t make combat trivial.
    — Ash Parrish, The Verge, 26 June 2023
  • And contrary to what many people think, pleasure is not the opposite of health.
    — Lucia Aronica, CNBC, 10 June 2026
  • And contrary to popular belief, a good sneaker can be chic too!
    — Maia Torres, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2023
  • But contrary to the TikTok hype, hypochlorous acid is not a cure-all.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 26 June 2026
  • However, contrary to what many might think, a big crop is bad on balance for farmers who sell corn.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Now, fire the professor who acted contrary to Texas law.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Stops there have soared in recent years, contrary to the pattern nationwide.
    — Emily Badger, New York Times, 29 July 2024
  • The room went quiet in that way creative rooms do when faced with an idea that runs contrary to every current trend.
    — David Soren, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • George Washington had at least four sets of false teeth, though contrary to myth, none were wooden.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
  • And that's contrary to everything that working class people stand for.
    — CBS News, 28 Jan. 2024
  • His timing to say goodbye, contrary to his trademark play on the ice, never was going to be right.
    — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
  • However, contrary to many portrayals, your skin wouldn't burst right away.
    — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
  • This new tax is contrary to private property rights and good tax policy.
    — Pierluigi Oliverio, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
  • These are things that go contrary to our ethos, to our respect for Christianity.
    — CBS News, 10 May 2026
  • For others, the idea is pseudoscience and contrary to our concept of nature.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
  • And, in fact, contrary to what many people believe, the money doesn’t come from taxes paid by the public.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2023
  • But contrary to the post's claim, Usher does not refuse to endorse Harris.
    — Isabel C. Morales, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024
  • But contrary to how things seemed to be shaping up, the City squad might not be getting that much bigger after all.
    — Sam Lee, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Every nation wants to avoid a legal precedent that is contrary to its long-term interests.
    — Elizabeth Mendenhall, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Every nation wants to avoid a legal precedent that is contrary to its long-term interests.
    — Elizabeth Mendenhall, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The techniques that are used with that play have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
  • But the Patriots, contrary to my recollections, have done a nice job on him in the past.
    — Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Sep. 2022
  • And that’s really contrary to open source principles and values, right?
    — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contrary to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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