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
  • After Kibaki’s victory was declared, the president was inaugurated in a strange dusk ceremony that infuriated Odinga’s camp.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The attack infuriated Italy and Italians, who were upset that the United States didn't hold accountable those involved in the mob.
    Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As the days go on, Lo continues searching for answers, further alienating herself from everyone else and causing a deeper rift between them all.
    Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Because of that, socialism is often used to describe the political and economic system of countries such as Cuba and Venezuela, and the term can politically alienate some voters due to its association with these countries.
    Halle Troadec, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While one of her first moves — pushing specialized teachers into vacant classroom teaching jobs — angered the teachers' union, the new bonus for retirees was an idea that came from the union president, Ingrid Walker-Henry.
    Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • This move had angered India, which pointed to China not getting punished despite its role as an even bigger importer of Russian energy.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • The film follows a ragtag group of actors (played by Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, among other stars) from an ‘80s sci-fi series who aliens unexpectedly abduct during a convention appearance.
    Matt Juul, BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2023
Verb
  • Michael was similarly enraged by the support.
    Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The funniest part to me is that amid this violence — as someone is literally trying to kill him — the thing that enrages Beom-mo the most is when his wife’s top starts to slip down.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Conservatives were particularly outraged by Joe Biden’s higher-ed agenda.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
  • That flip reference outraged Pulte.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Public sentiment toward the broader economy has also soured.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The mood has soured recently, though, with each side imposing additional curbs; new US tariffs come into effect today.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The tension first reached a breaking point years earlier when her sister severed ties with their dad’s extended family.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • His instinct, in other words, was to treat science as severed from politics.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Estrange.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estrange. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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