I truly love the English language and am the type of person who can become endlessly fascinated by a word. Perhaps that’s why I became a writer.

Did you know there’s a special type of word known as a “contronym” – a word that is its own antonym.

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#1. Sanction

You can use it to “give official permission or approval for an action” or “impose a penalty on.”

#2. Cleave

“To cling to or adhere” or “to split or sever,” depending on how you use it.

What’s left or we have left? One means “remaining” and the other “departed.”

“To proceed,” of course, but it can also mean “to give out or fail.”

You can use a clip to “bind things together” or you can “separate” coupons from the paper by clipping them.

You can apply dust or remove dust, depending on the context – are you dusting crops or furniture?

It can mean “to withstand or come safely through,” as with a storm, or conversely, “to be worn away.”

“I hardly get out of the house anymore since I work out of my home” You’re referring to both “outside” and “inside” with the same phrase.

“Supervise” or “to fail to see or observe; to pass over without noticing; to disregard, ignore” – true opposites!

We generally use it to mean to persist in doing something, though in the legal system, it means to stop a proceeding, if only temporarily.

It means both visible (the moon was out) and invisible (the lights are out).

It means both “to show” (a film) or “to hide” (something unsightly).

This phrase can mean “to support” or “to hinder.”

You can turn something off (deactivated) or an alarm can go off (activated) without changing a thing!

“To suggest” and also “to discard.”

Most often used as “assist” but can also be used to mean “prevent” – I couldn’t help myself.

It can mean both “moving rapidly” and “fixed, unmoving,” as in holding fast.

Go forth and sound smarter, people!