polarize

verb

po·lar·ize ˈpō-lə-ˌrīz

polarized; polarizing

Synonyms of polarize next

transitive verb

: to cause to vibrate in a definite pattern

polarize light waves

: to give physical polarity to

: to break up into opposing factions or groupings

a campaign that polarized the electorate

: concentrate sense 1

recreate a cohesive rock community by polarizing … an amorphous, fragmented audience—

Ellen Willis

intransitive verb

: to become polarized

polarizability

ˌpō-lə-ˌrī-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

Examples of polarize in a Sentence

The war has polarized the nation. The current debate polarizes along lines of class and race.

Recent Examples on the Web Kindness and its practice, whether given or received, can be an effective antidote to the troubling experiences, visions and diatribes about the ugly, polarizing unrest in our world. —

Lisa Z. Lindahl, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 On TV, meanwhile, the polarizing movie has been hotly debated on talk shows, as well as on news channels such as BFMTV where politicians have weighed in on the movie. —

Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Nov. 2023 On November 16, Rosalía pulled up to the red carpet in Seville, Spain, with a glam look that’s bound to polarize the beauty community. —

Glamour, 17 Nov. 2023 Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: Electric scooters are polarizing. —

Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023 Virtually every aspect of our public life feels increasingly polarized. —

Mark Rienzi, National Review, 17 Nov. 2023 Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish progressive leader, secured a second term as prime minister on Thursday after a polarizing agreement granting amnesty to Catalan separatists gave him enough support in Parliament to govern with a fragile coalition over an increasingly divided nation. —

Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Talking point: Portrayals of Wonka are famously polarizing. —

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023 Climate change is especially polarized in the U.S., where in recent months, there’s been a political backlash against the strategies companies and investors are encouraging to lower carbon emissions. —

John Kell, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polarize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.