contradict

verb

con·tra·dict ˌkän-trə-ˈdikt

contradicted; contradicting; contradicts

transitive verb

: to assert the contrary of : take issue with

contradict a rumor

She contradicted her brother's account of what happened.

: to imply the opposite or a denial of

Your actions contradict your words.

The evidence contradicts his testimony.

contradictable

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-tə-bəl

adjective

contradictor

ˌkän-trə-ˈdik-tər

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for contradict

deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid.

deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of.

denied the charges

gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said.

no one can gainsay her claims

contradict implies an open or flat denial.

her account contradicts his

contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility.

laws that contravene tradition

Example Sentences

He contradicted the charges of his critics. My sister doesn't like being contradicted. The mayor's actions in office contradicted the promises he made during the campaign.

Recent Examples on the Web This appears to contradict their own emergency management plan, which calls for evacuations of highest-risk areas with forecasts of 3 to 6 feet of storm surge.

Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2022 This appears to directly contradict what a number of family members have said, including Eric Perry, cousin of Errol Lindsey.

Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 29 Oct. 2022 Chris Olivarez joins 'Fox News at Night' to piece together a timeline of events, after a press conference Thursday appeared to contradict previous statements made by officials.

Fox News, 27 May 2022 Some of the articles identified in the research appeared to blatantly contradict the broad scientific consensus that the climate is warming, a process accelerated by the burning of fossil fuels.

Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2021 Sheriff’s Deputy Rafael Mejia, meanwhile, appeared to contradict his own report to investigators.

Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 19 Aug. 2022 On Chinese social media, users were quick to point out that Beijing's vaccine mandate appeared to contradict national health authorities' guidance that vaccination should be voluntary.

Nectar Gan, CNN, 7 July 2022 Buchbinder said those moves directly contradict the promises made to the community.

Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2022 Biden’s administration gave mixed messages on boosters and masks that at times appeared to contradict data and experts.

New York Times, 6 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contradict.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.