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compare and contrast

American  
[kuhm-pair uhn kuhn-trast] / kəmˈpɛər ən kənˈtræst /

idiom

  1. to consider (two or more objects, ideas, people, etc.) in a way that examines both similarities and differences.

    The presentation will compare and contrast the Canadian income tax system with the U.S. system.


Etymology

Origin of compare and contrast

First recorded in 1780–90


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.

See Examples For:

A new era of artificial-intelligence models mean the inevitable race to compare and contrast just how good they are.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026

I think it might make sense to compare and contrast the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense a bit.

From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2025

Then, I’ll truly go to the Santa Monica Erewhon just to kind of compare and contrast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2024

The planets' near identical size and the system's undisturbed nature are gold dust for astronomers because they make it much easier to compare and contrast them.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2023

Breaking a song into “chunks” helps exercise children’s cognitive and analytical abilities to understand, compare, and contrast the different parts or phrases of a song.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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