run counter to

Idioms  

1. Be in conflict with, oppose, as in Practice often runs counter to theory. This idiom, first recorded in 1843, uses counter in the sense of “in an opposite direction.”

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

run counter to

Still, the reports of robust spending run counter to some recent economic indicators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Likewise shorting commodities here would run counter to current consensus.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

But the implications, in his view, also run counter to Warsh’s.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

Police leaders, civil rights advocates and other experts say the actions of immigration officials and agents run counter to law enforcement’s best practices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2026

Sometimes, when a man does not know how to act for the best, it is not a bad plan to run counter to one’s own inclinations.

From His Unknown Wife by Louis Tracy

Related Words

• argue
• assail
• attack
• debate
• defy
• deny
• disagree
• dispute
• face
• fight
• prevent
• protest
• resist