contradictions

noun

plural of contradiction
1
as in paradoxes
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another a loving father as well as a ruthless killer, the gangster is a living contradiction

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2
as in denials
a refusal to confirm the truth of a statement the actress's contradiction of the marriage rumor caused quite a stir

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contradictions The researchers needed a way to join the rims without creating such contradictions. — Alex Stone, Quanta Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026 So now Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, with all its contradictions and challenges, is PleasrDAO’s problem. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Father knows best In many ways, Mehmeti is a player full of contradictions. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Despite his history with Holmes, Carreyrou said the film ultimately helped highlight some of Holmes’ contradictions. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 Within that very document, the contradictions concerning Black people are spelled out in the original language that originalists are so devoted to. — Kamau Bobb october 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026 The origin story of Silicon Valley contains two contradictions. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The production designer brought a deep understanding of the contradictions of the early modern period to his work, as evidenced in the clear visual contrasts between the ornate (but not sooty! — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2026 The film explores the contradictions of a Bulgarian town pulled into Europe’s shifting geopolitical order, where arms production for Ukraine’s frontlines collides with enduring ties to Russia, personal convictions, and the everyday need to survive. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contradictions
  1. paradoxes
  2. denials
  3. rejections
Noun
  • Her account opens with an acute examination of the paradoxes of willing (an example of how boldly this memoir follows its philosophical interests).
    — James Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Yet, one of leadership’s great paradoxes is that slowing down enough to invest in people is often what ultimately enables teams and organizations to move faster.
    — Michael Corvini, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of paradoxes
Noun
  • Roy, who has been part of negotiations since 2014, said he’s never seen denials like that before.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Collins followed up Ossoff’s presidential ambition denials on the debate stage by claiming the Democrat is playing the long game and would ultimately seek the White House.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of denials
Noun
  • Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • An impasse was called in early September, in part, after SEIU Local 1000 expressed frustrations about mass proposal rejections.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejections

Browse Nearby Words

contradiction
contradictions
contradictoriness
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Cite this Entry

“Contradictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contradictions. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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