# Words that are their own opposites

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-their-own-opposites/949331>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 22, 2021, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-their-own-opposites/949331 "2021-08-22T22:53:56Z")\
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**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-their-own-opposites/949331/1 "2021-08-22T22:53:56Z")

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I’ve long been interested in words that have multiple, contradictory meanings. In English, one of the best known is “sanction,” which can mean either _to punish_ or _to approve_. “Cleave” means either _to split apart_ or _to cling to_.

However, I did not realize that there are so many of these words.

> **[75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)](https://www.dailywritingtips.com/75-contronyms-words-with-contradictory-meanings/)**
>
> The English language includes an interesting category of words and phrases called contronyms (also spelled contranyms, or referred to as autoantonyms) -- terms

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