To Sanction, Literally

I do like contronyms. My favorite “Janus word” and probably the contronym that most precisely meets the definition, is sanction. To sanction means either to proscribe or permit, to condemn or approve. To cleave is to split or to cling. Merriam-Webster has a good article ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-own-opposites ) on how some words can come to mean the opposite of themselves. Word-scolds are always fussing about using literally to mean, well, not literally. It has literally become a contronym. At least according to linguist John McWhorter, literally can signal that the speaker is using exaggerated language (like, “my head literally blew up”) or it can mean factually or exactly reflecting reality.