1
as in contradictory
being as different as possible
the other jurors seemed sure the defendant was guilty, but I came to the contrary conclusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mischievous
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
a contrary child who wouldn't behave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the contrary soldier is facing a court-martial for insubordination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else
the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrary
Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
These two contrary experiences create a sense of dissonance—and social media offers a way out.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Raja Shehadeh, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2023
And, it hadn’t been endorsed by big companies such as Pfizer, despite the company's claims to the contrary.
—Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for contrary
Adjective
For such an inelegant behavior to be in chatbots as widespread and popular as GPT is a blunt reminder of two larger, seemingly contrary phenomena.
—Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
These two contrary experiences create a sense of dissonance—and social media offers a way out.
—Callum Booth, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
Soldiers, to the contrary, have regularly stood by as settlers engage in wanton violence against Palestinians.
—Raja Shehadeh, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2023
And, it hadn’t been endorsed by big companies such as Pfizer, despite the company's claims to the contrary.
—Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for contrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrary
Adjective
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As mentioned previously, not all patients with stage 4 breast cancer at diagnosis may benefit from surgery, as the research literature on its benefit is contradictory.—
Team Verywell Health,
Verywell Health,
3 Apr. 2025
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The uncertainty is the product of messages from Washington, D.C., that have been contradictory and indecipherably vague.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This type of behavior isn't unusual for the mischievous pair.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
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And no one can remain beautiful, in the same way, forever, though Kilmer’s mischievous, take-no-prisoners smile hadn’t changed much.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And if his readership remained informed on his doings, the prince and his supporters didn’t succeed in silencing him and the rest of the rebellious faction.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Apr. 2025
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Wearing cowboy boots with shorts is not only a bold stylistic choice but also a practical way to dress for warm weather without giving up the rustic and rebellious touch that the boots bring.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
If addiction is the opposite of connection, then in that moment everything’s connected for her.—
Zoe Papelis,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
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How investors can adjust their perspective Yet while investors who stay the course stand to reap the biggest rewards, we’re wired to do the opposite, according to behavioral finance.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The actress turned what would have been a totally conservative outfit into something really naughty while promoting her new movie Duplicity in the Big Apple.—
Robyn Merrett,
StyleCaster,
19 Mar. 2025
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Believe it or not, between sipping delicious eggnog and hot cocoa and enjoying the joy of Yuletide with family and friends, there are still naughty killjoys afoot during Christmastime — the worst of which appear in some of the best holiday films.—
Mike Miller,
People.com,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In the fresh extended footage shown, DiCaprio’s former yippie Bob is seen negotiating with a difficult underground rebel contact who knows the whereabouts of his daughter (played by Chase Infiniti).—
Nancy Tartaglione,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2025
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President Trump’s military and intelligence leaders inadvertently shared classified military information on a Houthi rebel attack with a magazine editor which was published online.—
Rick Pozniak,
Boston Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Jack: This is just a bad team that has occasionally had good days.—
The View from the Lane,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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What happened was my bad behavior and my angst brought the energy finally.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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More: China defiant, accuses Trump of 'blackmail' over 104% tariff threat: Live updates On Monday, Trump described similar negotiations underway with Japan as world leaders try to convince the U.S. president to roll back his new tariffs on all imports.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
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What To Know Trump has remained defiant despite mounting fears of recession and a plunging stock market.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrary. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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