estrange

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb estrange contrast with its synonyms?

The words alienate and disaffect are common synonyms of estrange. While all three words mean "to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty," estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation or divorcement.

his estranged wife

When could alienate be used to replace estrange?

The words alienate and estrange are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, alienate may or may not suggest separation but always implies loss of affection or interest.

managed to alienate all his coworkers

When would disaffect be a good substitute for estrange?

The words disaffect and estrange can be used in similar contexts, but disaffect refers especially to those from whom loyalty is expected and stresses the effects (such as rebellion or discontent) of alienation without actual separation.

troops disaffected by hunger

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 estrange In the play, Farrow played Sharon, a lonely Iowa woman – estranged from her adult son, divorced from her husband – who decides to take a boarder into her large farmhouse. Denise Petski, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025 Also in the cast is Riley Keough as Jay’s other daughter, this one estranged, who is shown in flashbacks and over phone calls as a woman who felt aggrieved and abandoned amid her father’s success. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2025 High Potential ended its first season by confirming that Morgan’s estranged ex is alive and well, thus bumping the search for Ava’s father to the top of Morgan’s priority list moving forward. Andy Swift, TVLine, 16 Sep. 2025 Brooke was estranged from Hulk and her mother, Linda Hogan, long before his death. Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for estrange
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estrange
Verb
  • That defeat denied Indianapolis a playoff appearance and infuriated the man in charge of it all.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The lack of details about the operations has infuriated members of Congress on both sides of the political spectrum.
    Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Trump’s embrace of Putin also alienated many democratic allies in Europe, especially those most threatened by Russia.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • For Bangladesh, the potential catastrophe of not tackling cascading environmental challenges justifies the risk of alienating its far more powerful neighbor.
    Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • That loss of sales has already angered many Midwestern soybean farmers, who see the administration’s Argentina outreach as benefiting a competitor while leaving American exporters disadvantaged.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The deal could improve America’s relationship with its chief economic adversary while angering key allies and its two biggest trading partners.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On the other hand, this rebranding risks aliening White Castle's core customer groups.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
  • In ever more apocalyptic language, Trump has sought to unify his MAGA movement with strongman pledges to defend Americans from millions of hostile foreigners seeking to storm the country and to root out enemy aliens within.
    Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Schumer and nine other Senate Democrats voted to keep the government open back then, enraging Democrats who had wanted to use the pressure point to fight back against the administration.
    Mike Lillis, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2025
  • To further enrage Predator purists, Thia and Dek adopt a cuddly little monkey-ish creature as their companion, a CGI bit of whimsy seemingly borrowed from Pixar.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The thought that a cannabis retail store could one day open near his youth hockey training center in Stillwater has outraged LumberYard Hockey and Sports Center co-owner Lee Erickson.
    Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Naroditsky's death at age 29 outraged his supporters in the chess world, who said he'd been bullied relentlessly by Kramnik, a former world champion who has accused many players of cheating in online play.
    Jason Abbruzzese, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sentiment among investors and consumers could sour as uncertainty looms over the economy, some economists warned, noting a feedback loop as participants brace for further pain and the ensuing pullback triggers sluggish economic performance.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Views of Trump have even soured a little among Hispanic Republicans.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The killer slit Catherine's throat with a razor so severely that her head was nearly severed before striking them both with an axe, per the Times-Picayune.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The Brockermeyer family is one of the most prominent football names in the history of Fort Worth, but its connection to TCU was severed over a few hundred thousand bucks.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Estrange.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estrange. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

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