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
One of the few sane adults left in his administration must have reminded him that antagonizing Catholics is a terrible political move. — Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 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 Trump first began antagonizing Senate Republicans last month by endorsing challenges to two of their own incumbents. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 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 Between his antagonizing antics and soul-shaking shot-making, CJ McCollum needed only two playoff games to achieve Knicks villain status. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026 Investor Michael Burry—of Big Short fame—considered antagonizing the richest man on the planet over the IPO of his latest company. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 June 2026 Dalton Eatherly, 28, is known in Clarksville for deliberately antagonizing people on camera and also faces theft and disorderly conduct charges from a separate incident. — Kristin M. Hall, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026 At a time when many in the business community tried to avoid antagonizing the Chinese government, Lai’s publications ran images that readers often brought to anti-government protests—including one that featured Hong Kong’s leader, Tung Chee-hwa, getting hit in the face with a pie. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonizing
  1. provoking
  2. angering
  3. aggravating
  4. enraging
  5. inflammatory
  6. infuriating
  7. annoying
  8. exasperating
Adjective
  • The Best Books of the Year (So Far) Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
  • Chiarella has come up with an ingenious premise that is as twisted as it is thought-provoking.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • Israel for years avoided officially recognizing the violence as genocide out fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • For years, Israel never officially broached the subject for fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • They are also expected to argue the shooting endangered others at Kirk’s campus event — an aggravating circumstance that could make the crime punishable by death under Utah law.
    — Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • They are also expected to argue the shooting endangered others at Kirk's campus event — an aggravating circumstance that could make the crime punishable by death under Utah law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of aggravating
Verb
  • Before the agreement was announced, Israeli forces struck in Beirut, enraging Trump, who has publicly expressed his fury with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
  • In May 2021, after being elected to Parliament, Ben-Gvir established a makeshift office in a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, enraging local residents.
    — Avi Issacharoff, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
Definition of enraging
Adjective
  • Obesity Excess fat tissue, especially around your belly, releases inflammatory chemicals like cytokines.
    — Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 6 July 2026
  • And what that meant was democracy, still a very inflammatory term in 1850.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
Definition of inflammatory
Verb
  • The result can be a more consistent connection, fewer interruptions and less of that infuriating mid-episode quality drop.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
  • Adding secondary maturations into the bourbon lineup is likely going to divide longtime Four Roses fans, delighting some and infuriating others.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 June 2026
Definition of infuriating
Adjective
  • This is a realm of exposition-heavy opening credits, relentlessly earwormy theme tunes, and heroes who, for no obvious reason, choose to hang out with cute/annoying [delete as appropriate] comedy sidekicks like Orko and Snarf.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
  • This would have evoked annoying memories of the 0-0 draw against Morocco in 2022 and 1-1 draw with Russia in 2018 for Spain.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • With the Angels, Mozeliak not only must overcome a losing culture, but also navigate a relationship with Moreno, a challenge his predecessors found exasperating.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • What followed was often exhilarating and, from around season three onward, often just as exasperating.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 June 2026
Definition of exasperating

Browse Nearby Words

antagonizes
antagonizing
ante
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Cite this Entry

“Antagonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonizing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on antagonizing

Nglish: Translation of antagonizing for Spanish Speakers

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