antagonizing 1 of 2

adjective

as in provoking

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antagonizing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of antagonize
as in angering
to implant bitter feelings in everything he said just antagonized the other side even more

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 antagonizing
Verb
While the competition ignited the box office in a world-class example of counterprogramming, the move was seen as baiting and antagonizing the director. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 July 2026 The thing is Georgia wasn’t antagonizing her (and Ariana tells her as much). — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 16 July 2026 Wilson, played by understudy Merrill Peiffer on opening night, recurs as a comedic yet antagonizing force throughout the show, making a years-long series of excuses for not promoting women’s suffrage. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 Hathaway’s style of play — gritty, aggressive, antagonizing — fits the mold that those former teammates have carried over to Florida. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026 On Monday against the Phoenix Mercury, Clark spent the game peeved at the officials and picked up her fifth technical after clapping in an antagonizing manner toward a rival. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026 Trump first began antagonizing Senate Republicans last month by endorsing challenges to two of their own incumbents. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 June 2026 Investor Michael Burry—of Big Short fame—considered antagonizing the richest man on the planet over the IPO of his latest company. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 June 2026 Dalton Eatherly, 28, is known in Clarksville for deliberately antagonizing people on camera and also faces theft and disorderly conduct charges from a separate incident. — Kristin M. Hall, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antagonizing
  1. provoking
  2. angering
  3. aggravating
  4. enraging
  5. inflammatory
  6. infuriating
  7. annoying
  8. exasperating
Adjective
  • The Best Books of the Year (So Far) Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
  • Chiarella has come up with an ingenious premise that is as twisted as it is thought-provoking.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • Two go-their-own-way Democrats bucked the party on a routine procedural vote, angering colleagues and raising a red flag about potential party divisions to come.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • However, Gemini halted withdrawals from its Earn program in November 2022, angering some of its more than 300,000 users.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • Greg Rogers, a former FBI agent and SWAT sniper who now teaches at Utah Valley University, said the alleged risk to the crowd should be enough to preserve the aggravating factor at this stage.
    — Michael Ruiz , Jesse Watson, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Most aggravating for the Norwegian was having three putts hit the lip in a four-hole stretch on the back nine, two of them for birdie and one for par.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggravating
Verb
  • North Carolina and Bill Belichick got zero, no doubt enraging girlfriend Jordon Hudson.
    — Greg Cote August 2, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Before the agreement was announced, Israeli forces struck in Beirut, enraging Trump, who has publicly expressed his fury with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Definition of enraging
Adjective
  • The Thelma And Louise star, who was dropped by UTA in 2023 after attending several rallies in support of Palestine and making an inflammatory comment, has revealed in the past that roles dried up for as a result of her activism.
    — Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But neither are as inflammatory as Hasan Piker, the socialist Twitch streamer who has become a staple in Republican midterm messaging over the past month.
    — James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of inflammatory
Verb
  • But maybe that low point and the unexpected departure of Stokes and the return of Joe Root as Test captain ahead of the white-ball skipper has proved a turning point for one of the most gifted but infuriating batters of his generation.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There are a variety of reasons for this — from reasonable to infuriating — why those who paid higher prices won’t be getting refunds.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of infuriating
Adjective
  • Yes, some of those fans are incredibly annoying—and some of those people aren’t even fans.
    — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Would Berman, then 49 years old, care about the project, or would the superstar personality treat it as an annoying burden thrust on him by his employer’s media arrangement?
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • Repeatedly taking your shoes off and on is time-consuming and exasperating.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • So much for the rational part of an exasperating season that marked the first time since 2014 that the Chiefs failed to make the playoffs.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of exasperating

Browse Nearby Words

antagonizes
antagonizing
ante
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Cite this Entry

“Antagonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antagonizing. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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