estrange

verb

es·trange | \i-ˈstrānj

estranged; estranging

Definition of estrange

1 : to arouse especially mutual enmity or indifference in (someone) where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness : alienate John's excesses gradually estranged him from his mother …— Philip Norman She became estranged from her family.

2 : to remove from customary environment or associations The first words spoken were not those of one becoming estranged from this world, and already permitted to stray at times into realms foreign to the living.— Charlotte Brontë

Other Words from estrange Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about estrange

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Other Words from estrange

estrangement \ i-ˈstrānj-mənt

\ noun

her estrangement from her family

estranger noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for estrange

Synonyms

alien, alienate, disaffect, disgruntle, sour

Antonyms

reconcile

Choose the Right Synonym for estrange

estrange, alienate, disaffect mean to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty. estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement. his estranged wife alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest. managed to alienate all his coworkers disaffect refers especially to those from whom loyalty is expected and stresses the effects (such as rebellion or discontent) of alienation without actual separation. troops disaffected by hunger

Examples of estrange in a Sentence

she estranged several of her coworkers when she let her promotion go to her head

Recent Examples on the Web

She's long been estranged from him, and plans to spend the weekend getting ready to sell the house. — Katie Walsh, latimes.com, "The Gabrielle Union home-invasion thriller 'Breaking In' could use some breathing room," 10 May 2018 Seventeen-year-old Rivers Prather is estranged from his mother. — Steve Hartman, CBS News, "Mission to find a stolen wallet changes one man's life," 6 Apr. 2018 Cunningham’s other brothers, Ross Cunningham and Greg Cunningham, said Bill Cunningham was a deeply troubled man who was estranged from the family. — Marwa Eltagouri, Washington Post, "Dallas County candidate admits plan to reward his children who marry white, straight Christians," 18 May 2018 The two had been in a serious relationship for more than two years but were recently estranged. — Jenny Vrentas, SI.com, "Everything We Know About the Allegations Against LeSean McCoy," 12 July 2018 Their parents were estranged and they were largely raised by their grandparents. — Peter Hermann, Washington Post, "In 1984 she went missing. Could the skeletal remains found in a D.C. apartment crawl space in April belong to this mother?," 21 June 2018 Ed Harris plays Ben Ryder, a renowned photographer who’s dying; Jason Sudeikis is Matt, Ben’s son, long estranged from his father and struggling to keep his music industry job in New York. — Glenn Kenny, New York Times, "Comic Performers Play It Dark in Netflix Movies," 20 Apr. 2018 The mysterious case has sent U.S.-Cuba relations plummeting from what had been a high point when the two countries, estranged for a half century, restored full diplomatic ties under President Barack Obama in 2015. — Greg Norman, Fox News, "Canada pulls diplomats’ families from Cuba over mysterious illness," 17 Apr. 2018 The episode is just the latest in a series that have left Poland, a nation of 38 million that sits strategically at NATO’s eastern frontier, estranged from its Western partners. — Griff Witte, Washington Post, "Poland reckons with unintended consequences as Holocaust bill kicks up a storm," 3 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'estrange.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.