POLARIZES Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

polarizes

verb

present tense third-person singular of polarize

as in divides

to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups A hot button issue that is sure to polarize the public.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 polarizes This scattering also polarizes the light; the amount of polarization seen depends on the incoming light’s angle with respect to the observer. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026 The group polarizes into shifting alliances as battle lines are drawn and re-drawn throughout the dinner party, the conflict between and within the women serving as choreography for the shifting relationships. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026 But the White House is also risking a wider fracture over an issue that rarely polarizes the GOP. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026 As technology distracts, polarizes and automates, people are still finding refuge on analog islands in the digital sea. — Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025 Content that outrages, polarizes or triggers anxiety keeps us watching. — Avital Pardo, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for polarizes

divides

Verb

The collapse of institutional rivalry The separation of powers divides authority among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government to prevent too much power from becoming concentrated in any one place.

— Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
The method divides relative cost of delay by relative job duration.

— Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of divides

Browse Nearby Words

polarized

polarizes

polarizing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Polarizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polarizes. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of polarizes

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes