as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
countries that have been antagonistic towards each other for centuries
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Recent Examples of antagonistic
Feldstein Soto says that COVID-19, antagonistic juries are at fault.
—
Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
Whether Earle-Sears can consolidate those suburban inroads — or whether Spanberger can capitalize on anger over the Trump administration's antagonistic approach to the federal workforce — may very well decide the race.
—Margaret Barthel, NPR, 17 June 2025
The 12 countries targeted – plus seven more, which face partial restrictions – are mostly nations with frosty, adversarial or outwardly antagonistic relations with Washington.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
John Walker Wyatt Russell in Falcon and the Winter Soldier Marvel Studios
An antagonistic force in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, John Walker (Wyatt Russell) is a military vet who takes the supersoldier serum and, briefly, is dubbed by the U.S. government as the new Captain America.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
Whether Earle-Sears can consolidate those suburban inroads — or whether Spanberger can capitalize on anger over the Trump administration's antagonistic approach to the federal workforce — may very well decide the race.
—Margaret Barthel, NPR, 17 June 2025
The 12 countries targeted – plus seven more, which face partial restrictions – are mostly nations with frosty, adversarial or outwardly antagonistic relations with Washington.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
John Walker Wyatt Russell in Falcon and the Winter Soldier Marvel Studios
An antagonistic force in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, John Walker (Wyatt Russell) is a military vet who takes the supersoldier serum and, briefly, is dubbed by the U.S. government as the new Captain America.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonistic
Adjective
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Guzman’s book was used as a common reader by several universities in 2024, reflecting ongoing concerns about the often hostile, partisan gaps that have roiled many campuses in recent years.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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In the five years since the events of Jurassic World Dominion, many of the dinosaurs and other formerly extinct creatures that were set free into the world have died off, unable to survive in the modern climate and otherwise hostile environments.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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That projection is based on the tariffs raising $2.6 trillion overall, while being offset by $418 billion in negative impacts.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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More urgently, defunding and censoring science could have dramatically negative consequences for all Americans.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Antagonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonistic. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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