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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Recent Examples of irony
The irony, the APA and NFA note, is that the tariffs will harm the very communities that have come to embrace these celebrations.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
The irony was not lost on many: The once-tallest building in Indianapolis was to be replaced by the newest tallest building in town.
—Powered By, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
The irony here is that others at Newcastle found Mitchell a far easier man to work with; direct and challenging, yes, but also eager to delegate and offer support.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 30 June 2025
There is some true irony at play for Dwyane Wade in the Heat icon’s role in the Utah Jazz front office.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for irony
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
The irony was not lost on many: The once-tallest building in Indianapolis was to be replaced by the newest tallest building in town.
—Powered By, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
The irony here is that others at Newcastle found Mitchell a far easier man to work with; direct and challenging, yes, but also eager to delegate and offer support.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 30 June 2025
There is some true irony at play for Dwyane Wade in the Heat icon’s role in the Utah Jazz front office.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for irony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irony
Noun
-
That contradiction stems, in part, from our dependence on sprawl.—
Marina Bolotnikova,
Vox,
7 July 2025
-
Harold himself was always fascinated by the contradictions in people.—
Nicole Krauss,
The Atlantic,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
At one point, the support bars bowed inward and the whole chair collapsed toward the ground—much to my friend’s amusement.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
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But this new version of Krypto is both very powerful and very rambunctious, and Superman has trouble training him, much to the amusement of Superman’s peers like Batman.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The most resilient organizations were led by those leaders who understood and learned from this paradox.—
Ed Brzychcy,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Drake became an artistic paradox: visible only through his invisibility.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
Amid the absurdity, the women slowly chip away at each other’s defences – finding unexpected friendship, meaning, and a strange kind of freedom.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
-
Understandably, a fury arose over this absurdity, but turns out there is a reason behind it all.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Already concerned about the incongruity of having a comic yukking it up with what was happening with the AP and other outlets, the WHCA scrapped her.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2025
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Kirby’s incongruity is terrifying, so said someone much wiser than me.—
Mitch Wallace,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
Noun
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This fierce competition means a dichotomy of AI’s impact on the workforce.—
Gerui Wang,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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Stalter experienced this dichotomy firsthand as a kid who practiced tirelessly with her mom for a local poetry-declamation contest.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irony. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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