work against (someone)
phrasal verb
worked against (someone); working against (someone); works against (someone)
: to contribute to a negative result for someone : make something less likely to happen for someone
Her lack of experience worked against her in the election.
Examples of work against (someone) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Adding McMillan to a room with Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen gives Young plenty to work with, while allowing McMillan time to develop route nuance and his work against physical corners.
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Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
On the mental health front, regular movement helps to work against some common symptoms linked with depression, like staying in more and feeling tired, Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health and cohost of the Mind in View podcast, tells SELF.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 24 July 2025
The best way to work against that trend is to source your peppers from smaller producers, like your local farmer's market or international grocery store.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
There is room for improvement here, though — Ramsey’s work against the run leaves plenty to be desired.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for work against (someone)
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Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
On the mental health front, regular movement helps to work against some common symptoms linked with depression, like staying in more and feeling tired, Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health and cohost of the Mind in View podcast, tells SELF.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 24 July 2025
The best way to work against that trend is to source your peppers from smaller producers, like your local farmer's market or international grocery store.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
There is room for improvement here, though — Ramsey’s work against the run leaves plenty to be desired.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for work against (someone)
Cite this Entry
“Work against (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20against%20%28someone%29. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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