1
as in hatred
a deep-seated ill will
a lingering hostility between the two neighbors ever since since they had that property-line dispute
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conflict
hostilities plural
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
Both sides agreed to cease all hostilities.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hostility
The conservative anti-union hostility undercuts their endorsement of works councils and sectoral bargaining.
—
Richard McGahey, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
People may be hesitant to seek public benefits or social support services, even if eligible, because of others operating off stereotypes and social hostility.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Racial and economic tensions escalated into violence In the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, reports of violence and racial hostility added to the devastation, according to NPR.
—Avalon Hester, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But this season, farmers are grappling with a rising hostility against programs that help migrants find work, spurred by the belief that foreign workers are taking jobs away from the domestic workforce.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hostility
Richard McGahey, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
People may be hesitant to seek public benefits or social support services, even if eligible, because of others operating off stereotypes and social hostility.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Racial and economic tensions escalated into violence In the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, reports of violence and racial hostility added to the devastation, according to NPR.
—Avalon Hester, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But this season, farmers are grappling with a rising hostility against programs that help migrants find work, spurred by the belief that foreign workers are taking jobs away from the domestic workforce.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hostility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostility
Noun
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Rivalries that are long in tenure and thick with hatred define college sports in the Deep South, where football is second only to faith in some places.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Examples abound of men with histories of misogyny – often expressed online – who go on to commit violent crimes in the name of their hatred.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And if someone begins filming you during the potential conflict?—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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The country is also the site of the Western Hemisphere’s longest-running internal armed conflict, and constitutionally requires all men between the ages of 18 and 24 to undertake some form of military service.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With a few exceptions, this cast is rife with petty grudges and trivial scandals that make for perfect competition-show fodder.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
3 Sep. 2025
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Trump is harboring an obvious political grudge against Bolton, one that started with revoking his security clearance and Secret Service detail immediately after taking office (even though credible threats against Bolton's life have been publicly reported).—
Isaac Saul,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All Quiet on the Western Front is a visually graphic portrayal of the horrors of war, earning four Academy Awards in 2023 — including Best International Feature Film.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Presumably, this is because those players lost their ‘development’ period — their early teenage years — to the war.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The white negroni gets its pleasant bitterness from gin infused with pine nuts.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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The water cleanses the palate, while the lokum balances the drink’s bitterness.—
Ali Halit Diker,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
International animosity has been found to not only affect what consumers buy while shopping, but also business-to-business purchases.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Her daughter Rimi Islam said at the time that Monica did not have any animosities with anyone, FOX 35 reported.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Government services are customer services, reduced to the antagonism of a commercial exchange, every place a place of business.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
23 Aug. 2025
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The suit is part of a history of antagonism between Gillett and the industry over adverse decisions that the utilities argue are based on misapplication of regulatory law.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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With none willing to stand in the face of enmity, spite and oppression, Jerusalem was destroyed.—
Ciera Bates-Chamberlain,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
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In this case, Jones earned the enmity coming his way from the team’s fans.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hostility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostility. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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