as in displeasing
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1
as in angering
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
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2
as in ceding
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
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Recent Examples of alienating
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Distracted balances its celeb soiree with Southern California’s sinister edge, the malaise and monotony that can make sunny days so alienating.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
The move followed public pressure and criticism regarding Mamdani’s past rhetoric concerning Israel, which some Jewish community members find deeply offensive and alienating.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Novels like Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch depict the surreal and alienating days of early parenthood with an eye to de-glamorizing the post-partum experience.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
But by the summer of 2022, my toddler son and I were often the only Black folks on the playground in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a fact that felt both alienating and surreal.
—Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
The bit, pretentious and alienating, went viral for the wrong reasons.
—Will Tavlin, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
This and more made growing up in Florida a strange experience both warm and alienating.
—Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
But Beau is a very strange, alienating, ambitious, experimental film, and my hope is that people find it over the years.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Five-figure seats—on top of lofty travel costs—risk alienating fans by paving the way for the wealthy to snap up tickets.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Failing to focus on issues that people can relate to — particularly young people with families — runs the risk of alienating some voters, Price said.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
And Pritzker and fellow Democrats faced the familiar tension of trying to balance growing calls from the progressive left to generate more revenue to support state programs with a more centrist desire to avoid alienating business interests.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Weiss is betting Bilton can bring new viewers to the program without alienating its current crop of die-hards.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 1 June 2026
Support for individual data centers already approved for zoning across the county has fallen along similar lines, attracting construction unions and school systems while alienating neighbors.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 1, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
Politically, this strategy of watering down her own initiatives to avoid alienating interest groups might have worked, if not for the fires.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Of course, embracing outsider thinking without alienating the insiders who get shows on the air is a tightrope walk.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Adjective
As the lens follows Dua, often up close and from behind, this mode of expression proves alternately absorbing and alienating.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Distracted balances its celeb soiree with Southern California’s sinister edge, the malaise and monotony that can make sunny days so alienating.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
The move followed public pressure and criticism regarding Mamdani’s past rhetoric concerning Israel, which some Jewish community members find deeply offensive and alienating.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Novels like Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch depict the surreal and alienating days of early parenthood with an eye to de-glamorizing the post-partum experience.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
But by the summer of 2022, my toddler son and I were often the only Black folks on the playground in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a fact that felt both alienating and surreal.
—Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
The bit, pretentious and alienating, went viral for the wrong reasons.
—Will Tavlin, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
This and more made growing up in Florida a strange experience both warm and alienating.
—Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
But Beau is a very strange, alienating, ambitious, experimental film, and my hope is that people find it over the years.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
In this episode, Patricia finally stands up for herself, confronting not just the Boogeyman but also the women who have spent decades alienating her.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Five-figure seats—on top of lofty travel costs—risk alienating fans by paving the way for the wealthy to snap up tickets.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Failing to focus on issues that people can relate to — particularly young people with families — runs the risk of alienating some voters, Price said.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
And Pritzker and fellow Democrats faced the familiar tension of trying to balance growing calls from the progressive left to generate more revenue to support state programs with a more centrist desire to avoid alienating business interests.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Weiss is betting Bilton can bring new viewers to the program without alienating its current crop of die-hards.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 1 June 2026
Support for individual data centers already approved for zoning across the county has fallen along similar lines, attracting construction unions and school systems while alienating neighbors.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 1, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
Politically, this strategy of watering down her own initiatives to avoid alienating interest groups might have worked, if not for the fires.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Of course, embracing outsider thinking without alienating the insiders who get shows on the air is a tightrope walk.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alienating
Adjective
-
While certain oils work well together (like lemon and tea tree, sweet orange and cinnamon, peppermint and rosemary), aim to mix only two to three oils when blending to avoid a displeasing or overpowering fragrance.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Star, which also looked into the killing, revealed that Jordan’s associations with organized crime figures, as well as his apparent disregard for angering them, likely contributed to his death.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
-
In the biblical Tower of Babel story, humans are driven by hubris to try to create a tower tall enough to touch the sky, angering God in the process.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
But are Democrats in some ways ceding a moral high ground?—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
Even after taking down Tennessee and winning the SEC, though, Auburn was left out of the BCS title game, ceding the floor to USC and Oklahoma.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Union Pacific hasn’t commented publicly on the president’s remarks, but risks infuriating the president by denying them privately to investors all the same.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
-
Cohen says the claims about Parsons are infuriating and false.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
In people with insulin resistance, the insulin becomes less effective at conveying glucose into the cells properly.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
-
Resolution received access to 2,422 acres near the historic Magma mine, while conveying more than 5,400 acres of environmentally and culturally sensitive land into permanent conservation.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
So, how can an organization remain current on customers' ever-changing needs and expectations without annoying or estranging them?—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance (LP-IR) Test estimates the body’s response to insulin by analyzing patterns in blood fats and assigning a score from zero to 100.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
Wittmann suggests assigning specific zones—like the entryway or living room—to each person in the household for a fast, low-effort way to consistently tidy.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
In May 2021, after being elected to Parliament, Ben-Gvir established a makeshift office in a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, enraging local residents.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
This is a sad story, an enraging one, a maddening one.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alienating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alienating. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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