negatives 1 of 2

plural of negative
1
as in vetoes
a vote or decision against something in the absence of an unambiguous negative from the commander, we decided to continue on the mission

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2
as in opposites
something that is as different as possible from something else the desire to control another person is actually the negative of real love

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3

negatives

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of negative
1
as in downs
to reject by or as if by a vote although the rebuttal was very eloquent, the jury negatived it in favor of the prosecution's argument we promptly negatived the idea of having pizza again for dinner, noting that we had already had it for three nights that week

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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 negatives
Noun
But over long stretches of time, the potential negatives are far outweighed by the inherent profitability of being paid to assume the risks that your customers want to lay off on you. Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 20 July 2026 The negatives are then printed as positives on the 70-mm prints for projection. Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026 However, the positives have increasingly outweighed the negatives throughout 2026, to the point where, at the time of writing, the game has a 74% positive score for reviews written in the past 30 days (of which there have been 951). Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 Of course, once again, regulations could be tough, and debt would be an issue … but those are negatives in any major deal of this size, and the telecom players might be hungry enough to go for it. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026 These kinds of old negatives are often stored inside cans and are so fragile they can’t be unrolled without destroying them, Seales says. Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 June 2026 The negatives hinted at the zone of discomfort Carroll often inspires. Leanne Shapton, The New York Review of Books, 24 June 2026 Instead of harping on the negatives and problems, center and rest your energy on the positives and protect your peace to wash away some of your worries. Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 18 June 2026 Now Simmons and his old negatives have exposure like never before. Noel Brennan, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negatives
Noun
  • DeSantis’ vetoes carved roughly $800 million from the $115 billion state budget the Legislature passed in May, including 140 projects requested by Miami-Dade lawmakers that are worth nearly $88 million, according to a Miami Herald analysis.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • One of his biggest vetoes slashed more more than $225 million for new housing and maintenance of existing facilities requested by the Department of Corrections.
    Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • Where modern novels might have opposites meeting at work, separated by a misunderstanding and reunited with a kiss and solid communication, ancient novels are quite different.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • The two are still polar opposites; Sally is a dutiful mother who bakes beautiful cakes and avoids men while Gillian is all about finding literal Chads on Tinder.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • Compared with the cost of crime, interventions to offset the disadvantages of deprived environments would be cheap.
    Ronald J. Allen, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of being seen that way?
    Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • Springtown takes edge in 7-4A race, downs Decatur Springtown got the inside track on the District 7-4A championship after beating Decatur 4-2 in 8 innings on Monday night at Decatur High School.
    Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Greene downs it, throws the kid his jersey, smiles, and all is right with the world.
    Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • If that tech notes signs of long-term wear, corrosion or a prior bad repair, the company classifies the claim as preexisting and denies it.
    Sharon Wu, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • The dancer filed a request for an emergency child custody order against his ex, Elena, who denies any wrongdoing.
    Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • Recently in Colorado, a progressive 15-term Democratic member of Congress lost a primary election to a DSA candidate who refuses to condemn as anti-Semitic the firebombing of a demonstration for Israeli hostages.
    James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • Now they are being flown to Bhutan - a country that still refuses to recognize them as citizens and expels them on arrival to India or Nepal.
    Maansi Srivastava, NPR, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • The warmth offsets the cool pink-gray undertones from the whitewash, giving the room a welcoming, cocooning quality.
    Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026
  • Federal student loan default can also expose you to wage garnishment, tax refund complications, and in some cases, Social Security offsets.
    True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • The director rejects aspects of modernity in his personal life, too.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Conversely, when a judge rejects a motion for an injunction, companies can move to complete a takeover deal quickly.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Negatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negatives. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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