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
Sometimes that kind of exposure can work against a player.
—
Corey Pronman, New York Times, 6 May 2025
But positioning our work against a villain is a nonnegotiable for success.
—Patrick Riccards, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
In return for working to remove dyes from food, the trade group asked the Trump administration to work against state legislation that has created a patchwork of laws around food dyes — which could lead to more restrictive bans on other chemicals -- not just food dyes -- in certain states.
—Sony Salzman, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2025
But Cardinal Zuppi’s association with the Community of Sant’Egidio could work against him in the election for the next pope, according to Sandro Magister, a Vatican expert.
—Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for work against (someone)
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.
Corey Pronman, New York Times, 6 May 2025
But positioning our work against a villain is a nonnegotiable for success.
—Patrick Riccards, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
In return for working to remove dyes from food, the trade group asked the Trump administration to work against state legislation that has created a patchwork of laws around food dyes — which could lead to more restrictive bans on other chemicals -- not just food dyes -- in certain states.
—Sony Salzman, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2025
But Cardinal Zuppi’s association with the Community of Sant’Egidio could work against him in the election for the next pope, according to Sandro Magister, a Vatican expert.
—Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 2 May 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 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share