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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrary
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Ricks had to introduce conflict and contrary opinions in meetings to induce richer discussion and honest evaluation of projects and their risks and benefits.
—Alice Park, Time, 17 Apr. 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
House Republicans who have been pressed about their position have contended, despite a contrary view from experts, that the Trump cuts can be executed without taking services from Medicaid recipients.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Ricks had to introduce conflict and contrary opinions in meetings to induce richer discussion and honest evaluation of projects and their risks and benefits.
—Alice Park, Time, 17 Apr. 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
-
As with most things, men and women have received contradictory messaging about it.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
-
While official agency reports are often incomplete or internally contradictory, Grant Watch cross-references its data, flags discrepancies, and updates entries as new information becomes available.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Lois, no longer a promiscuous drag king, remains mischievous and irrepressible, even while getting pilloried on Fox News for leading a school workshop on gender identity.—
Charlie Tyson,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
-
Each day in the world of Phineas and Ferb is filled with a fantastical invention or creation—and their big sister Candace (Ashley Tisdale) is still perpetually annoyed by their mischievous antics, and on a mission to expose their exploits to their mom, Linda Flynn-Fletcher.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Many historians estimate that at least 15 to 20 percent of the population remained loyal to the crown, some even taking up arms against their rebellious neighbors and fighting alongside the British.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
-
Inspired by 1953’s The Wild One starring Marlon Brando, the song and video captures the rebellious spirit of the cult classic, with scenes of a motorcycle being driven on an open road and birds in flight.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
The question would be who the third cornerback would be at either slot or opposite of Elam on the boundary.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2025
-
Others, especially in the South, are experiencing the opposite.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Renaissance’s old love language — the naughty puns, the sighs of longing and strategies of seduction, the paeans to the beauty of beloveds masked by fanciful Greek and Latin names — had grown obsolete long before Millay’s time.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
They are seen flinging a pizza box into their bucolic yard, smearing their faces with paint, raising their middle fingers, and saying naughty words.—
Peter Tonguette,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Yet none of this has dampened Mr. Trump’s enthusiasm for bringing U.S. influence to bear in trying to end the rebel incursion – in part because the fighting has affected a region that holds some of Congo’s main rare earth deposits.—
Ned Temko,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 June 2025
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The government in Colombia has struggled to contain violence as rebel groups try to take over territory abandoned by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia following its peace deal with the government.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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That cartilage injury was worse than expected, and Jiménez could miss all or most of this season rehabbing.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
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These let companies create boundaries—like firewalls—that ensure LLMs don't inject bad information or influence outputs in unintended ways.—
Sean White,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Kim Kardashian made a defiant walk into Paris' Palace of Justice in May, to face the criminals who held the reality star at gunpoint and robbed in 2016.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
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In an era defined by digital speed, algorithmic curation, and disposable listening, Gearbox Records has carved out a defiant space for intentionality, sonic depth, and analog fidelity.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrary. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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