1
as in to infuriate
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring
her changed position on the issue surprised and alienated many of her supporters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cede
to give over the legal possession or ownership of
landowners have a right to alienate their right of ownership—in other words, they can sell the land if they want to
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 alienate
Navigating progressive politics has long been a commercially treacherous act for country stars, who risk alienating their conservative fanbase.
—
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Gertrude watched her brother alienate his friends, sapped of mental energy, and increasingly cantankerous.
—Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Rensch was told chess was his life’s purpose—and he was alienated from his family in the pursuit of greatness.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
There’s something very alienating about it.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alienate
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Gertrude watched her brother alienate his friends, sapped of mental energy, and increasingly cantankerous.
—Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Rensch was told chess was his life’s purpose—and he was alienated from his family in the pursuit of greatness.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
There’s something very alienating about it.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alienate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alienate
Verb
-
The journey, first to Paris and then through Switzerland and Milan and onwards to Venice, was for the most part pleasant, being blessedly free of many of the wearisome and often infuriating hindrances and misdirections that rail travel usually entails.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Don’t be surprised if this is a hot-hand situation, though, and rather infuriating.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
America should basically cede that key technology of the Great Progression to Chinese global leadership.—
Peter Leyden,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The unpalatable alternative for Macron would be dissolving parliament again, ceding to pressure from the far right in particular for another unscheduled cycle of legislative elections.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Indeed, after the pandemic—which initially decimated sales but then led to a surge in business that overwhelmed REI’s supply chain and operations—Artz made moves that angered many employees.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The real estate developer who angered Benbrook residents this past summer with his plan to build in a floodplain has been indicted on felony charges in Parker County for alleged misappropriation of funds and theft.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On the line level, there are countless word choice combinations to convey the same meaning (check out Reading Rilke by William Gass).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The cleverest use of the format is to convey shifts in perspective, as the level of immersion indicates whose point of view we’re supposed to be sharing.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The accusations came after Harry—who is estranged from William, Kate and his father King Charles—sent a wreath and a handwritten letter to be placed in honor of his grandfather, Prince Philip, at the Burma Star Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in London on September 2025.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Walton, who’d come out at 30 years old, was estranged from some of his.—
Katherine Laidlaw,
HubSpot,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.—
Matthew Redmond,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The park’s quiet debut brings to fruition what was envisioned in October 2021, when the city of San Diego relinquished its rights to lease the block from IQHQ and instead entered into a contractual arrangement with the company for a 96-year term.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Laurene Allen, an environmental advocate who lives in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where PFNA was one of several forever chemicals discovered in drinking water in 2016, was awaiting the report and is frustrated and enraged by its delay.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
-
As part of these reforms, the Royal Navy impounded dozens of merchant vessels for allegedly evading customs duties, enraging merchants as well as mariners, shipwrights, stevedores, and others in port cities whose livelihoods depended on foreign commerce.—
Time,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The agency also assigns an advisory level for all countries.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Oct. 2025
-
In clubhouses with bigger lockers or prized locations, players are assigned to spots by service time.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alienate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alienate. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share