oxymoron
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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“Foreseeable future” is an oxymoron right up there with “jumbo shrimp.”
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
You can, even if it sounds like an oxymoron, travel alone without being a solo traveler.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026
He was, if we may use an oxymoron, a libertarian builder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
When four top film studio musicians formed the Hollywood String Quartet in the late 1930s, its name was presumed an oxymoron.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2025
I thought that was maybe what my English teacher would call an oxymoron, because you cannot truly have freedom if someone is chasing you.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
“People think ‘disabled’ and ‘hiker’ are oxymorons, like you can’t be disabled and go hiking, and that’s just not true at all,” Nagakyrie said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
The story deals in oxymorons – bitter desire, weak power – and jolts to a conclusion that is harsh, cool, indelible.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 2, 2019
What it creates are these sports oxymorons, all in the hope of gaining fame by virtue of having none.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2018
For me, this was a kind of liberation — because having “help” translates to being “helpless,” one of those neat oxymorons.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 3, 2017
“I erased my entire hard drive last night. I need to load everything back on and rewrite that essay for English. Hey, Brady, remember those oxymorons we talked about in lit the other day?”
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Vocabulary lists containing oxymoron
Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
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Poetry: Literary Devices
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AP English Lit exam terms
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