as in to infuriate
to implant bitter feelings in
everything he said just antagonized the other side even more
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Recent Examples of antagonize
Beyond the economic threats, Trump has repeatedly antagonized and belittled historic partners, notably the one with which the U.S. shares a 5,500-mile (8,900-kilometer) border.
—
Time, 28 Mar. 2025
Other fans have been openly antagonizing the hockey gods with ideas for the most Team Chaos-worthy way the record could fall.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Indeed, antagonizing the competition prevents U.S. companies from learning from their mistakes.
—Mohammad Hosseini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
If one of these ladies had knowingly invited her ex-husband just to antagonize her, all bets would’ve been off.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonize
Time, 28 Mar. 2025
Other fans have been openly antagonizing the hockey gods with ideas for the most Team Chaos-worthy way the record could fall.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Indeed, antagonizing the competition prevents U.S. companies from learning from their mistakes.
—Mohammad Hosseini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
If one of these ladies had knowingly invited her ex-husband just to antagonize her, all bets would’ve been off.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonize
Verb
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Image On the left, the governor’s decision to engage with Mr. Kirk has infuriated Mr. Newsom’s allies.—
Laurel Rosenhall,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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For many out-of-network doctors, payments lower than their invoices are an infuriating part of doing business.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rick is enraged, and finds Jim happily taking a photograph with his wife, Sritala (Lek Patravadi), and the three galpals on vacation.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
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While Yoon’s failure to deliver noticeable economic gains estranged this cohort, the manner of his removal still enrages his base, which has been galvanized by the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories on right-wing blogs and social media.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That effort failed, but as one of the last acts of his first governorship, Brown signed a bill to increase payments to such workers by about $3 billion a year, angering employers who must provide coverage.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
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As the situation unfolds, Republicans are caught in a delicate balancing act, wary of angering Trump while addressing the growing backlash against his trade policies.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Domestic and regional actors often manipulate aid deliveries, creating a skewed economy that leaves some people embittered and others emboldened.—
Maha Yahya,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Feb. 2025
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Many people feel frustrated — embittered by what some view as an overly cautious approach by the Biden administration, and having endured months of delays in receiving American military assistance last year after it was held up in Congress.—
Marc Santora,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antagonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonize. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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