contrary to

preposition

Definition of contrary tonext
as in against

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 contrary to During this time, from 1978 to 1982, Willis was married to Phylicia Rashad — contrary to the group’s gay image. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 July 2026 Federal officials said that allowing Syrians and Haitians to remain is contrary to national interest. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026 In addition, contrary to predictions of an AI job apocalypse, AI is boosting employment levels, the PwC study finds. — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Erika Pinheiro, executive director of the immigrant rights group Al Otro Lado, said the court’s ruling violates international law and is contrary to what Congress intended. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for contrary to
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrary to
  1. against
  2. athwart
Preposition
  • In the last year, Actor’s Equity has filed at least seven labor complaints against Casa Bonita with the National Labor Relations Board for retaliation and refusal to bargain.
    — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Kurtz will join teammate Shea Langeliers, who won his fan election to start at catcher for the American League with 65% of the vote in Phase 2 against Alejandro Kirk of the Blue Jays.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of against
Preposition
  • An obstructionist Supreme Court, however, stood athwart the New Deal’s path.
    — John Fabian Witt, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2022
  • One of the world’s largest container ships was wedged athwart the Suez Canal on March 23rd, blown off course by high winds.
    — The Economist, The Economist, 27 Mar. 2021
Definition of athwart

Browse Nearby Words

contrary
contrary to
contrast
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contrary to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrary%20to. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All