as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
the relationship between the president and the congress should not be adversarial if anything is to get done
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Recent Examples of adversarial
In Moscow, Hungary under Orbán had been a rare ally amid an adversarial EU.
—
Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 23 Apr. 2026
His findings reflect the experience of the company’s Frontier Red Team, a group of 15 Anthropic employees tasked with challenging cybersecurity by simulating adversarial attacks.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
Jena Griswold, Colorado’s Democratic secretary of state, has come to see the federal government as adversarial to elections and election administration, rather than a partner.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026
Spain, the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy, has been less adversarial toward China than other EU countries in recent years.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 23 Apr. 2026
His findings reflect the experience of the company’s Frontier Red Team, a group of 15 Anthropic employees tasked with challenging cybersecurity by simulating adversarial attacks.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
Jena Griswold, Colorado’s Democratic secretary of state, has come to see the federal government as adversarial to elections and election administration, rather than a partner.
—Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026
Spain, the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy, has been less adversarial toward China than other EU countries in recent years.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversarial
Adjective
-
Women, people of color, and first-generation professionals were too often told their accurate perceptions of hostile environments were merely internal distortions.—
Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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Others, like Michael (Doon Mackichan), seem openly hostile.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
However, Chloe later admitted that, despite their best efforts, her parents’ divorce — and the rumors and publicity surrounding it — did have a negative effect on her.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
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So none of the negative press circling around him manifested as a problem in your working relationship?—
Zak Cheney-Rice,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adversarial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversarial. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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