as in dichotomy
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paradox
At the start of creating A Complicated Woman, Taylor felt alienated from her own feelings – a strange paradox, perhaps, for an artist who has never minced her lyrics and one whose powerful live shows, for many, feel like akin to a spiritual reverie.
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Sophie Williams, Billboard, 28 Jan. 2025
Pico Iyer’s readers know him as an inviting paradox, a travel writer who savors standing still.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Jan. 2025
His dialogue was abundant and suffused with paradox and irony.
—Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
The result, in the hostage case, is an underappreciated diplomatic paradox: Thanks largely to Trump, a deal demanded by the Israeli left and reviled by the right is about to come into effect.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Sophie Williams, Billboard, 28 Jan. 2025
Pico Iyer’s readers know him as an inviting paradox, a travel writer who savors standing still.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Jan. 2025
His dialogue was abundant and suffused with paradox and irony.
—Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
The result, in the hostage case, is an underappreciated diplomatic paradox: Thanks largely to Trump, a deal demanded by the Israeli left and reviled by the right is about to come into effect.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paradox
Noun
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Lower spoke with Variety about the pivotal episode, from the powerful moment that Helly reclaims her body to the complex dichotomy between her innie and outie characters.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
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Speaking on a panel devoted to French savior faire, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode executive president Pascal Morand remarked on the dichotomy of the two seemingly divergent tracks at opposite ends of the Porte de Versailles convention center.—
Rhonda Richford,
WWD,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But what remains a mystery is why some haven’t discovered this neo-noir gem yet.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2025
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There needs to be a little bit of mystery left, right?—
Alison Edmond,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And at the heart of these contradictions is the constant tension over whether or not Meghan really wants to be royalty.—
Louis Staples,
Rolling Stone,
8 Mar. 2025
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Incisive writers about higher education have pointed out that the American university is a bundle of contradictions held in an uneasy balance that miraculously works.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Much like Jokic himself, the potential through lines are, a bit of an enigma.—
Bennett Durando,
The Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2025
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Until now, these faraway colossal radio jets released not long after the big bang have been elusive, mostly escaping detection, and how they are created remains an enigma, according to Gloudemans.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But that incongruity becomes part of The Monkey’s strange sense of humor.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
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To me, their beauty derives in part from their incongruity with the sky’s naturally occurring features.—
Kate Folk,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paradox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paradox. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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