the contrary
noun
: an opposite or different fact, event, or situation
He was sure his sister had made a mistake, but the contrary was true: she was right and he was wrong.
Examples of the contrary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That's because 127 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled to the contrary.
—
Nina Totenberg, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
To the contrary, the United States has dispatched thousands of additional Marines and paratroopers to the region.
—Sam Metz, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Trump has a long history of claiming victory in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
And yet, baseball isn’t struggling — on the contrary.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the contrary
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Nina Totenberg, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
To the contrary, the United States has dispatched thousands of additional Marines and paratroopers to the region.
—Sam Metz, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Trump has a long history of claiming victory in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
And yet, baseball isn’t struggling — on the contrary.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the contrary
Cite this Entry
“The contrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20contrary. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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