ostracize

verb

Definition of ostracizenext
as in to criticize
to not allow (someone) to be included in a group; to exclude (someone) from a group She was ostracized by the scientific community for many years because of her radical political beliefs. The other girls ostracized her because of the way she dressed.

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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 ostracize While she was never found guilty of a crime, she was ostracized from society more than ever before. — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026 Some felt ostracized by family and peers who considered sustainable farming and environmentalism itself to be anti-farmer and anti-rural. — Sydney Giacalone, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026 After opening up about his gender identity and sexuality to another youth at a group home in rural Oregon, Rin quickly regretted it, feeling ostracized from the other youth by his caregivers and misunderstood. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 Interracial families were ostracized, and mixed-race children were excluded from the Baptist mission schools. — H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ostracize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracize
  1. criticize
  2. denounce
  3. attack
Verb
  • Vance has neither criticized his friend nor publicly nudged Carlson to temper what’s been harsh criticism of Israel — and Trump’s cultivation of the Netanyahu government.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • At an October debate, Bass pointed out that Raman, as chair of the city council’s housing and homelessness committee, had repeatedly approved spending on Inside Safe, the very program Raman now criticizes as expensive and insufficiently accountable.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • Omar has denounced the investigations as a politically motivated conspiracy against her, and used it to urge supporters to donate to her reelection campaign.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • That backstory could make his refusal to denounce the ad a more enduring political problem for him.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of denounce
Verb
  • Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack

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ostracize
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Cite this Entry

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

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