contradict

B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic

v. when two facts or ideas are so different that they cannot both be true.

v. to be logically inconsistent with something else so that both cannot be true simultaneously.

“The new evidence seems to contradict everything we thought we knew.”

“The results of the second study directly contradict the initial hypothesis, suggesting that the environmental factors were more significant than first assumed.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to say something that is the opposite of what you said before.

v. to make statements that are mutually exclusive; often used reflexively to indicate a speaker's lack of consistency.

“The politician contradicted himself several times during the long interview.”

“By claiming to support fiscal responsibility while proposing massive spending increases, the candidate appeared to contradict himself on a fundamental level.”