as in criticizing
to not allow (someone) to be included in a group; to exclude (someone) from a group
She was ostracized by the scientific community for many years because of her radical political beliefs. The other girls ostracized her because of the way she dressed.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 ostracizing
The Vanity Fair article was published shortly after, further ostracizing Adams from her former friends and causing the remaining Eternal Values members to become even more insular.
—
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2026
While going on a spiel about the pitfalls of ostracizing family members for voting MAGA, the TV personality pivoted to his personal experience.
—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
21 Nov. 2025
By focusing so much on the Jewish people and the Jewish state, these provocateurs have a much broader goal in mind than merely ostracizing America's small Jewish minority.
—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2026
While going on a spiel about the pitfalls of ostracizing family members for voting MAGA, the TV personality pivoted to his personal experience.
—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
21 Nov. 2025
By focusing so much on the Jewish people and the Jewish state, these provocateurs have a much broader goal in mind than merely ostracizing America's small Jewish minority.
—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracizing
Verb
-
Several had a history of criticizing vaccine recommendations or questioning their safety.
-
From Lebanon, Ghosn seized the moment, criticizing current leadership and offering himself as a solution.
Verb
-
He is accused of attacking a 27-year-old man with a beer mug inside the Hula Bar on Saturday night.
-
Liv Morgan controversially interrupted Iyo Sky's coronation, attacking her and forcing a tap-out.
Verb
-
True Americans are committed to defending the Constitution while denouncing any president who wants to thrash it.
-
Oliynykova has also publicly called for Russian and Belarusian athletes, including Sabalenka, to be banned from competing for not denouncing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of her native Ukraine.
Cite this Entry
“Ostracizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostracizing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
