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
At the same time, however, the fluidity of A.I. could work against social platforms.
—
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
For investors looking to diversify risk via crypto investments this stronger correlation might work against the appeal of crypto for certain investor groups.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Other financial analysts also suggested Wednesday that Trump’s three major goals in imposing the tariffs — bringing more manufacturing to the U.S., increasing U.S. revenue and negotiating lower tariffs with foreign countries — could all potentially work against one another.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
Everything from hormonal imbalances to metabolic adaptations can work against a person’s weight loss efforts.
—Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for work against (someone)
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Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
For investors looking to diversify risk via crypto investments this stronger correlation might work against the appeal of crypto for certain investor groups.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Other financial analysts also suggested Wednesday that Trump’s three major goals in imposing the tariffs — bringing more manufacturing to the U.S., increasing U.S. revenue and negotiating lower tariffs with foreign countries — could all potentially work against one another.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
Everything from hormonal imbalances to metabolic adaptations can work against a person’s weight loss efforts.
—Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 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 May. 2025.
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