as in insulting
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in trespassing
to commit an offense
since this is the first time you've offended, we'll let you off lightly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in outraging
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
the visitor unintentionally offended his hosts terribly by failing to compliment them on the elaborately prepared meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in violating
to fail to keep
offended conventional standards of uniformity by not adhering to the company dress code
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 offending
Oc Register, 18 May 2026
Charles has since apologized and deleted the offending TikTok, but the controversy continues, igniting social media discourse.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
By the next day, Google had pulled down the offending videos.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2026
Place a bowl of coffee grounds in the offending area (or, in the case of your shoes, place dry grounds in an old sock or cloth tied up and leave overnight inside the shoe) and let the grounds absorb unpleasant odors, says Rocky Vuong, founder of Calibre Cleaning Unlimited.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Co-offending refers to when two or more offenders participate in a crime.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
The Washington Post, which broke the news, ran the offending word in both its headline and story.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Something seems to be afoot, since the offending robots were operated by two different companies.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
The Defringe option in Affinity improves matters, but the software doesn't have an eyedropper to hone in on the offending shade of magenta.
—Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Travelers often worry about coming off as rude or offending someone, but your personal safety is foremost, so trust your gut.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2026
Emergency crews first cut off power to the tracks before removing the offending vehicle.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 June 2026
So the Devil orders the father to cut off his daughter’s offending hands.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
As soon as the customers would walk out of sight, the drivers would take photos of the offending vehicle, then back their flatbeds into place and load them up, usually within a couple of minutes.
—Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 3 June 2026
In an effort to send a message to any minors planning to descend on the Jersey Shore for a weekend of lawbreaking and recklessness, Vaz is vowing to prosecute both the offending child and their parents.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
The offending symbol still stays there and demands to be dealt with.
—Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The no-escape rule says that after a penalty is called and play stops, the remaining players on the offending team cannot change.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Adjective
Occasionally, some nitwit will play chicken with the offending lane changer, get in front of him or her, and stop the car in the middle of the road to continue with verbal and nonverbal critique of the offender’s driving skills.
—Oc Register, 18 May 2026
Charles has since apologized and deleted the offending TikTok, but the controversy continues, igniting social media discourse.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
By the next day, Google had pulled down the offending videos.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2026
Place a bowl of coffee grounds in the offending area (or, in the case of your shoes, place dry grounds in an old sock or cloth tied up and leave overnight inside the shoe) and let the grounds absorb unpleasant odors, says Rocky Vuong, founder of Calibre Cleaning Unlimited.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026
Co-offending refers to when two or more offenders participate in a crime.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
The Washington Post, which broke the news, ran the offending word in both its headline and story.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Something seems to be afoot, since the offending robots were operated by two different companies.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
The Defringe option in Affinity improves matters, but the software doesn't have an eyedropper to hone in on the offending shade of magenta.
—Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
When the local library pulls a few of Cricket’s semi-nude life drawing portraits down for fear of offending their patrons, Olympia becomes his advocate and champion.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Travelers often worry about coming off as rude or offending someone, but your personal safety is foremost, so trust your gut.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2026
Emergency crews first cut off power to the tracks before removing the offending vehicle.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 June 2026
So the Devil orders the father to cut off his daughter’s offending hands.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
As soon as the customers would walk out of sight, the drivers would take photos of the offending vehicle, then back their flatbeds into place and load them up, usually within a couple of minutes.
—Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 3 June 2026
In an effort to send a message to any minors planning to descend on the Jersey Shore for a weekend of lawbreaking and recklessness, Vaz is vowing to prosecute both the offending child and their parents.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
The offending symbol still stays there and demands to be dealt with.
—Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The no-escape rule says that after a penalty is called and play stops, the remaining players on the offending team cannot change.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offending
Adjective
-
These character endnotes, whether they’re read as youthful naiveté or an insulting interpretation of youthful naiveté, contribute to the finale’s bitter aftertaste.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
-
The comments were not well received, with locals telling BBC Scotland News that the description was insulting and did not reflect the people in the area.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
As if breaking the law would offer a symbolic release from this double bind, the third video documents Liden trespassing into the apartment of an anonymous hoarder.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Walking on private ground without permission is clearly trespassing in Montana.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
Jiankui spent three years in prison and was fined three million yuan (about $430,000 at the time) for violating medical regulations.—
Laura Dattaro,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
-
The determination concludes a six-month investigation by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division into Davis Med’s admissions practices, which found the school guilty of violating a landmark 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned affirmative action in university admissions.—
Sophia Mandt,
The Washington Examiner,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
As advertised, Swanson remains a peak defender, and his offensive production can be particularly streaky.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
7 June 2026
-
Star forward Christian Pulisic broke his monthslong goal drought against Senegal, and defender Antonee Robinson wowed with his offensive playmaking.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Although the push to get Huang out of the race failed, the leftist’s campaign ended up falling flat, securing less than 3% of the vote in the primary.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Wall Street, meanwhile, got some relief from falling oil prices.—
Stan Choe,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold cases and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Aaron Judge slugged 62 home runs for the New York Yankees in 2022, breaking Roger Maris’ mythical American League record of 61 homers set in 1961.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
After that day, my ex became abusive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
While not every nursing home fosters a neglectful or abusive environment, these conditions can thrive at facilities that are understaffed.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offending. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
