antagonizing 1 of 2

adjective

as in provoking

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antagonizing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of antagonize
as in angering
to implant bitter feelings in everything he said just antagonized the other side even more

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of antagonizing
Verb
Washington must stop antagonizing Ottawa and instead cooperate with its northern neighbor on Arctic and maritime security, mineral extraction and trade, and technological innovation. — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026 Davidson is even calm when talking about Kardashian’s ex-husband Ye, who once wrote a song antagonizing Davidson. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026 And at a moment when the US is antagonizing allies and has yet to find a way to end its war on Iran that’s destabilizing the global economy, Xi has been burnishing China’s image as a responsible and dependable global leader. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 India, the host, wants the summit to accomplish as much as possible without antagonizing the United States. — Ian Bremmer, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 While the competition ignited the box office in a world-class example of counterprogramming, the move was seen as baiting and antagonizing the director. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 July 2026 Wilson, played by understudy Merrill Peiffer on opening night, recurs as a comedic yet antagonizing force throughout the show, making a years-long series of excuses for not promoting women’s suffrage. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 Hathaway’s style of play — gritty, aggressive, antagonizing — fits the mold that those former teammates have carried over to Florida. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026 On Monday against the Phoenix Mercury, Clark spent the game peeved at the officials and picked up her fifth technical after clapping in an antagonizing manner toward a rival. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonizing
  1. provoking
  2. angering
  3. aggravating
  4. enraging
  5. inflammatory
  6. infuriating
  7. annoying
  8. exasperating
Adjective
  • Straker, the foul-mouthed, Daily Mail–provoking British chef, has made his way stateside.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Read Cep’s Profile of Kingsolver » Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • Raising taxes and reducing government spending are part of a potential solution, but those would be politically unpopular decisions that could risk further angering an already livid public.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
  • South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement, but Ukraine denies the countries reached such a deal, further angering Seoul.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • This refusal to look directly at the shadows is all the more aggravating given how often The Mosquito Bowl pats itself on the back for being clear-eyed.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Police said the charges presented to the District Attorney's Office also include allegations of great bodily injury involving an elderly victim and aggravating circumstances.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggravating
Verb
  • The administration removed hundreds of trees from the East Potomac Golf Links over the weekend, enraging the judge.
    — Julia Boehning, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Unbearably painful and enraging for the one, surely pretty darn awkward for the other.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of enraging
Adjective
  • Another study found that saffron may protect against certain inflammatory conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
    — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Roche, meanwhile, notched a win after the FDA approved its drug Enspryng, a therapy to treat rare inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of inflammatory
Verb
  • Life was crazy and the entertainment business was weird and journalism was infuriating.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Cummings said that in January 2021, a friend of Birchmore’s called Stoughton police and told a dispatcher about the illicit relationship, infuriating Farwell.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of infuriating
Adjective
  • Imagine a congressional coalition formed by kicking out the lawmakers, on either side, who are annoying—the Ted Cruzes and the John Fettermans.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, the survey showed that use of the horn is the most common action when drivers consider another driver to be annoying or angering them.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • The program's first matchup with a Southeastern Conference team in a regular season since hosting Vanderbilt in 1959 quickly became an exhausting and exasperating experience for the defense.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Repeatedly taking your shoes off and on is time-consuming and exasperating.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of exasperating

Browse Nearby Words

antagonizes
antagonizing
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Cite this Entry

“Antagonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonizing. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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