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Synonyms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

In the latest stress point, CSU has objected to 16 community college degree proposals, contending that they run counter to state law provisions designed to protect its own university degree offerings.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

But keeping a smaller EV manufacturing footprint seems to run counter to the idea of producing competitively priced, profit-making EVs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

From a human-resources perspective, it makes little sense to effectively conflate vacation days with work-from-home days, and it also seems to run counter to promoting goodwill.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025

It has no need to run counter to the moral law, nor can it do so without defeating its own end.

From Ontology or the Theory of Being by Coffey, Peter

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