English contains a few word pairs that function as synonyms, antonyms, or both. And there’s that strange pair, “careen” and “career,” both of which mean going wildly out of control. Often something that cuts the mustard will also pass muster, though “mustard” and “muster” are very different words. These few pairs form only the beginning of a list; any contributions that add to it will be welcome.

Synonyms despite themselves
best (a foe) - worst (a foe)
flammable - inflammable
ravel - unravel
valuable - invaluable

Schizophrenic antonyms
cleave (unto) - cleave (in two)
oversight (supervision; attention) – oversight (lack of attention; omission)
sanction (permit) - sanction (punish)
trim (add decorations) - trim (remove excess)
warn (alert to protect from harm) - warn (threaten with harm)
wear (deteriorate; erode) - wear (resist deterioration; last)

Reed’s Homophones available from Pisgah Press, LLC
ISBN 978-0-615-59723-2 $10.00
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