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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Recent Examples of paradox
The resulting paradox is that, as deaf culture expands (but hearing people’s knowledge of it hardly keeps up), relationships between deaf people and hearing people become increasingly fraught and difficult.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
Neil Irwin Jan 22, 2025 - Politics & Policy
The paradox of Trump's economic inheritance
President Trump is inheriting an economy that is simultaneously robust and fragile.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
The paradox suggests that effort can be both costly and valuable, that, although our genetic makeup pushes us to choose survival above all else (which often does not require climbing high mountains or running long distances), humans have evolved to sometimes choose difficulty over ease.
—Mallory Arnold, Outside Online, 8 Feb. 2025
The Tocqueville paradox nicely captures the idea of concept creep and explains how people today can be outraged at (historically speaking) minor social injustices, despite being surrounded by (historically speaking) unprecedented equality.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paradox
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
Neil Irwin Jan 22, 2025 - Politics & Policy
The paradox of Trump's economic inheritance
President Trump is inheriting an economy that is simultaneously robust and fragile.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
The paradox suggests that effort can be both costly and valuable, that, although our genetic makeup pushes us to choose survival above all else (which often does not require climbing high mountains or running long distances), humans have evolved to sometimes choose difficulty over ease.
—Mallory Arnold, Outside Online, 8 Feb. 2025
The Tocqueville paradox nicely captures the idea of concept creep and explains how people today can be outraged at (historically speaking) minor social injustices, despite being surrounded by (historically speaking) unprecedented equality.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 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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Page, losing his Bridgerton persona completely, is an enigma with an ego, Burke is outstanding as a man in decline, and the always-great Harris is very fine as well.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
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Astronomers may have solved a enigma involving a mysterious X-ray signal from a dying star that's been puzzling scientists since 1980.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 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 15 Mar. 2025.
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