estranging

verb

present participle of estrange
as in alienating
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring she estranged several of her coworkers when she let her promotion go to her head

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 estranging So, how can an organization remain current on customers' ever-changing needs and expectations without annoying or estranging them? — Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estranging
  1. alienating
  2. angering
  3. infuriating
  4. outraging
  5. enraging
  6. souring
  7. severing
Verb
  • Physicality presents technical challenges to audio recording, and wit—primarily achievable by coming up with lots of ideas in advance—quickly becomes alienating in a casual setting.
    — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Artists playing into their politics isn’t without risk, as many steer clear to avoid alienating fans or getting embroiled in controversy.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of alienating
Verb
  • The widespread use of arrests, tear gas and riot-control weapons against teenagers is fueling defiance and angering some parents and teachers.
    — NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Spain is hard-hit due to small rental market The housing crunch has been simmering for years in Spain, eating into household budgets and angering voters.
    — Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of angering
Verb
  • Cummings said that in January 2021, a friend of Birchmore’s called Stoughton police and told a dispatcher about the illicit relationship, infuriating Farwell.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2026
  • His laserlike focus on the particulars of the story doesn’t leave much room for extrapolation; even the infuriating case of bureaucratic overreach that the film depicts can easily be understood, and perhaps even defended, as an aberration.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of infuriating
Verb
  • The Hitlerite hordes are murdering and outraging the peaceful inhabitants of our country, having no mercy on women, children or old people.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • On Day 1 of the truce, and in the days since, Israel has stepped up attacks against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Lebanon, outraging Iran and leading to accusations the terms had been breached.
    — Justin Fishel, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of outraging
Verb
  • The administration removed hundreds of trees from the East Potomac Golf Links over the weekend, enraging the judge.
    — Julia Boehning, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Unbearably painful and enraging for the one, surely pretty darn awkward for the other.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of enraging
Verb
  • It’s well documented that a souring relationship can increase your chances of anxiety, eating disorders, and emotional issues.
    — Georgia Casey, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Ideally for Detroit, the team will cement both players as franchise pillars without souring any relationships over contract value.
    — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of souring
Verb
  • Another piece sliced through his salivary gland before bouncing off his jaw and piercing the back of his neck, severing an artery and embedding in a vertebra.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The actress was hurt on the set of Batwoman in 2019, nearly severing her spinal cord and herniating two discs in her neck.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of severing

Browse Nearby Words

estranges
estranging
estuaries
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Cite this Entry

“Estranging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estranging. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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