parentheses

NOUN

digression

Synonyms

STRONG

apostrophe aside deflection departure detour deviation difference divagation divergence divergency diversion drifting episode excursion excursus footnote incident irrelevancy note tangent variation wandering

WEAK

discursion obiter dictum rambling

Antonyms

STRONG

accord agreement conformity sameness similarity uniformity

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.

It’s less jarring than parentheses but a bigger interruption than commas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

They are listed in ascending order of their trailing-month returns, which are displayed in the parentheses.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

It will always be a melter of a slow jam, but its intention is in those parentheses – to be in the sensation of aliveness he’s created.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2025

The Associated Press state football poll for Washington as voted upon by a panel of sports media from across state with first-place votes in parentheses, season record and points from the poll.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2023

Or dashes can be used in pairs instead of parentheses to enclose an aside or an explanation: Her new shoes had loads of style—they were Ferragamos—but not much arch support.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner