as in paradox
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another
her outfit is a sartorial dichotomy: an elegant gown and ratty old tennis shoes
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Recent Examples of dichotomy
Critchley, glossing Julian of Norwich, draws a distinction between seeing and seeing through creation, but this is a false dichotomy.
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Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
These false dichotomies are exhausting.
—Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
That dichotomy – Bianco focusing on genuine crime and Democrats playing up their opposition to Trump’s crime and immigration tactics – is worth noting.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025
That dichotomy was part of the character design from the beginning.
—Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dichotomy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dichotomy
paradox
Noun
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And that’s the beautiful paradox of grief, really.—
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The paradox of the intelligent age is that greater informational capacity may coexist with diminishing societal coherence.—
Cite this Entry
“Dichotomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dichotomy. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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