1
as in infuriates
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring
her changed position on the issue surprised and alienated many of her supporters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cedes
to give over the legal possession or ownership of
landowners have a right to alienate their right of ownership—in other words, they can sell the land if they want to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of alienates
His paranoia, too self protective and self righteous, alienates him from himself.
—
James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
This type of stuff just alienates me.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Trump’s malice and incompetence alienates voters, who then publicly voice their discontent, encouraging other political actors and institutions to see him not as a crusading avatar of national destiny but as a weakened figure.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
This relentless pursuit of holiday perfection alienates Claire from her eldest daughter and fuels her own stress and anguish, too.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 9 Dec. 2025
This both alienates those who built that culture and ignores the real-world context where changes must be integrated.
—Big Think, 12 Nov. 2025
Singling us out as victims of multiracialism alienates us from our fellow-South Africans and harms relationships that have been fostered over the past 30 years.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
That alienates a lot of people.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Pew noted Democrats’ views grew more negative toward Republicans, fostering hostility that alienates swing voters.
—Nafees Alam, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
This type of stuff just alienates me.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Trump’s malice and incompetence alienates voters, who then publicly voice their discontent, encouraging other political actors and institutions to see him not as a crusading avatar of national destiny but as a weakened figure.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
This relentless pursuit of holiday perfection alienates Claire from her eldest daughter and fuels her own stress and anguish, too.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 9 Dec. 2025
This both alienates those who built that culture and ignores the real-world context where changes must be integrated.
—Big Think, 12 Nov. 2025
Singling us out as victims of multiracialism alienates us from our fellow-South Africans and harms relationships that have been fostered over the past 30 years.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
That alienates a lot of people.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Pew noted Democrats’ views grew more negative toward Republicans, fostering hostility that alienates swing voters.
—Nafees Alam, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alienates
Verb
-
Ugh, Salley infuriates me more than people who stop at the top of the subway stairs to check their phone.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
-
No one exemplifies that, and infuriates Twins fans more, than Ortiz.—
Brian Hall,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The specialization that cedes politics, economics or communication to separate disciplines is, in sociology, an invitation to synthesize and to consider how these broad social processes engage, reinforce or conflict with one another.—
Wendy Nelson Espeland,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The lead-up to Kennedy’s circus of sci-fi fantasists and food bloggers provides an object lesson in how the left cedes fertile political territory to the right.—
Annie Levin,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
LaCava said the change seems like another city policy that angers many residents without major impact.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Lenderman conveys this perfectly, despite having never played it live before.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Mary does nothing to hide her irritability with him, something Metcalf conveys to perfection.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This is exactly the kind of mainstream Christian view that enrages Allie Beth Stuckey.—
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This enrages Rebecca, who demands half his new salary, and the pair engage in a battle for control.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But those notifications fell short of formal authorization from Congress, which the Constitution assigns the power to declare war under Article 1.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
28 Feb. 2026
-
However, the majority was clear in reaffirming that our Constitution assigns tariff authority to Congress.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Could this be the anarchic mind that emerges when the ego relinquishes its hold?—
Michael Pollan,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
-
If a player chooses not to negotiate with the Panthers, that player will be unable to sign elsewhere, unless Carolina relinquishes his rights by not offering him a tender.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Such bubbles — when stock valuations run far ahead of underlying fundamentals — can set the stage for sharp market corrections if investor sentiment sours.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Starbucks is the latest foreign retail business to enlist a local partner to turn around their ailing fortunes in China as a persistent property slump sours consumer appetite for everything from premium luxury goods to ice creams.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alienates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alienates. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
