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
Indeed, their body language and working relationship belies nothing of the boorish, antagonistic dynamic between Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose enmity risked lives (as when Cuomo held up a mass Covid vaccine site in New York due to his beef with de Blasio).
—
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Advertisement An alternative to flattery AI proposed by researchers from Harvard and the University of Montreal is antagonistic AI.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
The federal government’s antagonistic posture has raised the question of how much the state’s leaders should fight the administration, versus keeping a low profile to avoid the president’s wrath.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
To below-the-line workers, longer deals will offer the promise, in the AMPTP’s view, of greater job security in a less antagonistic labor environment.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Advertisement An alternative to flattery AI proposed by researchers from Harvard and the University of Montreal is antagonistic AI.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
The federal government’s antagonistic posture has raised the question of how much the state’s leaders should fight the administration, versus keeping a low profile to avoid the president’s wrath.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
To below-the-line workers, longer deals will offer the promise, in the AMPTP’s view, of greater job security in a less antagonistic labor environment.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antagonistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonistic
Adjective
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Deery believes that decline can be attributed in part to prospective students and parents feeling like campuses are hostile to those who don't hold a liberal-leaning worldview.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
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For some unexplained reason, if such an event continues for a prolonged period, citizens can often become inexplicably hostile.—
Wayne Chan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Nestle, which makes Guigoz in France and SMA in the UK, said Thursday that stock shortages and returns of some formula products would have a marginally negative impact on its sales volumes this year.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Kennedy gets praise in some quarters for his campaign against food preservatives, but on balance his prescriptions have been far more negative than positive for the public interest.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Antagonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonistic. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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