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
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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
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Recent Examples of alienates
One big question now, Thomas says, is whether a tie-up with a paragon of fast-fashion alienates Everlane's current clientele — or sways Shein shoppers to trade up.
—
Alina Selyukh, NPR, 22 May 2026
Perfection alienates; wrongness invites.
—Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Increasingly bitter about being cheated, and decreasingly able or willing to hide it, Rick exhibits erratic behavior that alienates his friends, his family, his band.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
To achieve this, however, firms must make the investing experience as smooth as possible, ensuring that language is understandable and avoiding complex jargon that alienates and discourages potential investors.
—Brendan Callan, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Alina Selyukh, NPR, 22 May 2026
Perfection alienates; wrongness invites.
—Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Increasingly bitter about being cheated, and decreasingly able or willing to hide it, Rick exhibits erratic behavior that alienates his friends, his family, his band.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
To achieve this, however, firms must make the investing experience as smooth as possible, ensuring that language is understandable and avoiding complex jargon that alienates and discourages potential investors.
—Brendan Callan, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alienates
Verb
-
Georgia Supreme Court challenger Jen Jordan infuriates Republicans with a new fundraising email.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
-
To that end, Nate's extravagant wedding infuriates Naz, who thinks Nate has the ability to pay him back but is holding out on him.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s what happens when the hegemon cedes hegemony.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
In this instance, the goalie cedes a lot of ice behind him to cover off a pass.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Set in 1986, the story follows two brothers, Irwin and Gary Pearl, whose get-rich scheme to help clean up the Gowanus Canal ends in disaster after Irwin (Teller), a nebbish family man, angers Russian mobsters by unwittingly witnessing their criminal activity.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
What Labbé conveys through his prose here is the ways that soccer, at this highest of levels, can create a kind of collective experience for both players and spectators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
The line conveys wastewater across Tijuana and its collapse sent excessive flows to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is designed to handle 35 million gallons per day.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 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
-
The league assigns electronic devices to employees to be used for work purposes, and teams ordinarily do the same with their employees.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 June 2026
-
Then the team assigns a wage value to each discrete task by cross-referencing ADP’s payroll data.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 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
-
Being forced to parent his child sours Danny’s attitude during the outing to the amusement park, while Nia embraces the rare child-free moment.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
If the economy sours, as may happen with higher oil and gasoline prices, there will be a temptation to raise taxes, which must be resisted.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alienates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alienates. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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