as in contradiction
a situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what is expected
We got a good chuckle seeing their tow truck being towed away, but our friends failed to see the irony.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irony
There’s a lot of irony packed into Cameron’s words about nonviolence when this is a guy who murdered someone in cold blood.
—
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
These results highlight a strange irony: Humans have made the world more stressful for all kinds of animals by, for example, destroying their habitat and damming up rivers.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 10 Apr. 2025
And the final irony of it all is the speaker was right in the beginning.
—Abc News, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2025
That was just their sense of humor, a dose of online irony poisoning.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irony
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
These results highlight a strange irony: Humans have made the world more stressful for all kinds of animals by, for example, destroying their habitat and damming up rivers.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 10 Apr. 2025
And the final irony of it all is the speaker was right in the beginning.
—Abc News, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2025
That was just their sense of humor, a dose of online irony poisoning.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irony
Noun
-
No surprise here—for the life of the Church, like that of each Christian, reaches redemption by taking on the shape of the Cross: the universal sign of contradiction, even unto herself.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
-
This contradiction between rhetoric and reality cannot be ignored.—
Jeffrey Gahler,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There's a mix of on-the-beach relaxation (pet-friendly!) and off-the-beach amusements, such as go-kart tracks, a handful of mini-golf courses, a number of ice cream shops, and good restaurants.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
-
My Aunt Chippy has always been a source of great amusement for me.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But here's the paradox: pursuing happiness often makes people more unhappy.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Many Alaskans see the prospect as an embarrassing paradox – akin to Hawaii importing pineapples or New Mexico importing green chiles.—
Brett Watson,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Within the film’s glittering absurdity, Langlois shows us how easily the monster that was fame and fandom could turn on women like Mimi and Billie.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Based in Brooklyn, the studio will focus on stories that go inside the fringe to capture the absurdity of modern American life.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Understand nuance, relational differences, and can deal with incongruity.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Camp is this aesthetic of ironic juxtaposition, taking something that might be shocking in its incongruity, and then using it to create a cool or humorous effect.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The record will appear on his debut album Order Chaos Order, out June 13, which emerged from a kindred dichotomy.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Oda is a revelatory young acting and vocal talent, commanding the stage inside a masterful performance, the truth of Jade’s personal persona an interesting dichotomy from how the public knows her.—
David John Chávez,
The Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irony. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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