dissonances

noun

plural of dissonance
as in discords
a lack of agreement or harmony the dissonance between what we are told and what we see with our own eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dissonances Diné weaver Marilou Schultz has been probing the harmonies and dissonances between these technologies since the 1960s. — Lua Vollaard, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 With a laugh, the British native charmingly embraces any international dissonances in play. — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 27 May 2026 Instruments and voices accumulate into immense, sustained, saturating dissonances, with a snare drum cutting through the tear-gas haze. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 From Zehetmair’s searching dissonances, the SPCO moved into Brahms’ Double Concerto, performed by concertmaster Steven Copes and principal cello Julie Albers. — Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025 Although the relocation of a very Nordic communitarian milieu to a British setting creates its own cultural dissonances, the end result is a nifty ethical puzzle about balancing the needs of individuals versus those of the community. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonances
  1. discords
  2. frictions
  3. conflicts
  4. schisms
  5. wars
Noun
  • Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.
    — April Uchitel, Flow Space, 6 Aug. 2025
  • In every case, physical science, which is based on the evidence reported by these limited and limiting senses, eventually leaves us stranded with the conviction that sickness, accidents, and disasters – discords of every description, regardless of the apparent cause – are real and inevitable.
    — Lisa Rennie Sytsma, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025
Definition of discords
Noun
  • Although many top‑level policy frameworks read promisingly, structural frictions create risk that reforms won’t deliver limited real‑world impact, Tang said.
    — Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frictions
Noun
  • Unfortunately, its determination to recreate its predecessor’s personal conflicts and revelations, along with its narrative twists and turns, slightly hamstrings what is otherwise an extremely effective thrill ride, especially on the big screen.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • When Russia’s full-scale invasion breaks out, his mother and sister flee Ukraine and join him, bringing with them family conflicts and feelings of guilt that distance cannot silence.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of conflicts
Noun
  • This turns into a big argument about Issa being a weird little guy, and suddenly there are multiple potential roommate schisms in the house.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Yet since she was rescued in bad shape in mid-July and transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center for treatment, schisms have formed.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of schisms
Noun
  • The treaty has endured three wars and prolonged periods of diplomatic tensions but has come under increasing strain in recent years.
    — Sam Meredith,Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Kitchen has seen some properties pushed even higher than that as sales frequently turn into bidding wars.
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of wars

Browse Nearby Words

dissonance
dissonances
dissonant
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Cite this Entry

“Dissonances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonances. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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