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
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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.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hostility
Tehran asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon would end, as outlined in the deal signed with Washington, and mediators were working to resolve the issue, the diplomat said.
—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
The interim deal has halted hostilities in Iran and the Gulf and reopened the Strait of Hormuz, after Iranian attacks and threats all but stopped the flow of oil and natural gas through the waterway, creating a global energy crisis.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Stopping the hostilities was easier but the diplomatic negotiations to resolve broader issues will likely prove to be harder and involve higher stakes for the future of the relationship between the two countries, matters of war and peace in the Middle East, and the stability of the global economy.
—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
The initial deal ended all military hostilities between the two sides and required Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls during the 60-day negotiating period.
—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hostility
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
The interim deal has halted hostilities in Iran and the Gulf and reopened the Strait of Hormuz, after Iranian attacks and threats all but stopped the flow of oil and natural gas through the waterway, creating a global energy crisis.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Stopping the hostilities was easier but the diplomatic negotiations to resolve broader issues will likely prove to be harder and involve higher stakes for the future of the relationship between the two countries, matters of war and peace in the Middle East, and the stability of the global economy.
—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
The initial deal ended all military hostilities between the two sides and required Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls during the 60-day negotiating period.
—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hostility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostility
Noun
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Police investigations showed that the pair are suspected of displaying seditious items and selling publications with seditious content inside the shop, including materials inciting hatred against the city's government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, the government said.
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Not drinking seemed to me synonymous with a hatred of pleasure, a fascist quest for purity.
Noun
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His father, Manuel Cepeda, was a prominent figure in the Colombian Communist Party, and was assassinated in 1994 during a particularly bloody era in Colombia's internal conflict.
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The town’s predicament highlights the limits of any ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, and the lingering hardship faced by residents whose lives have been upended by years of conflict.
Noun
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So exemplary was Bergeron’s career, on the ice and off, there are no lingering grudges in this or that city, no bills to pay, no scores to settle.
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But pretty soon the two interlopers into this small, grudge-holding but tight-knit community — the kind where, going back generations, everybody not only knows but is mightily resentful of everyone else’s business — develop a kind of outsider kinship.
Noun
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Between February and August, fallout from the Iran war will have destroyed 800 million barrels of oil demand, JPMorgan estimates.
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Oil tanker traffic through Hormuz before the war might represent the high point for transits for the foreseeable future, said Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.
Noun
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And after spending most of Sunday as the guy the crowd didn’t want to see close the deal, Clark didn’t respond with bitterness.
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Crisp and refreshing, the drink’s grapefruit bitterness was softened by carbonation, giving Mexico’s national cocktail a lively upgrade.
Noun
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At a time when the United States has tense relationships with many of its overseas allies, international tourists' appreciation of American culture offers a counterpoint to the animosity between politicians.
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And yet Joe and Angela’s animosity is underscored by an absence of song.
Noun
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Ben Green, assistant professor of information at the University of Michigan, told Fortune there’s meanwhile abundant signs that antagonism toward data centers is real and organic.
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Today, the antagonism between the defendants and the system judging them took the shape of civilized disagreement.
Noun
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Trae Young won Madison Square Garden’s undying enmity in the 2021 playoffs for the Atlanta Hawks, punctuating game-breaking shots by shushing the crowd or bowing to the fans and waving goodbye.
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By the time the series moved to Chicago, the enmity between the New York and Chicago teams—and between the Yankees’ and the Cubs’ fans—was focused on Ruth.
Cite this Entry
“Hostility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostility. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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