as in condescending
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in cutting
to assume or treat with an air of superiority
a director with an unpleasant habit of patronizing even his most gifted actors
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in endorsing
to promote the interests or cause of
a company that loyally patronizes the arts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patronizing
Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
Those sentiments aren't constructive and can be rather patronizing.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Shop In Uptown Put your plastic to good use by patronizing Uptown’s lovely community of small businesses.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patronizing
Adjective
The clearest firebrand of the group is Suzanne (Mia Barron), whose patronizing politeness will eventually give way to rage once her views are challenged.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
Those sentiments aren't constructive and can be rather patronizing.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
Those sentiments aren't constructive and can be rather patronizing.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Shop In Uptown Put your plastic to good use by patronizing Uptown’s lovely community of small businesses.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patronizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patronizing
Adjective
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Kudos to Tara for keeping her composure as Whelan offers this condescending remark about Libya.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
22 Oct. 2025
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But Chernus talks at us with the condescending zeal of a true music-lover, and his cheeky tirades about the history of jazz — and why Jarrett’s gift for improvisation is unique even in the context of such a freeform genre — are entertaining and educational in equal measure.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although the Jayhawks led by as many as 21 points, BYU stayed within striking distance in the second half, cutting the lead to six as the clock ticked under two minutes to go.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
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There were cancellations and delays, with the Department of Transportation cutting flights due to safety concerns.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The announcement comes less than a week after Vietnam reelected Communist Party General Secretary To Lam as the country’s top leader, endorsing his vision of economic growth driven by aggressive reforms.—
Aniruddha Ghosal,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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Rogan, who has increasingly broken with Trump in recent months after endorsing his 2024 campaign, refrained from explicitly criticizing the president or the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday’s episode.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Since determining whether someone is domineering is subjective and could vary based on different perspectives, that statement is unlikely to qualify as defamation.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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Set in medieval England, Anne (Turner) is torn between her domineering live-in mother-in-law Morwen (Marcia Gay Harden) and a new love interest, Jago (Harington).—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller voted against the hold, with both advocating another quarter-point cut.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
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In Snowflake’s 2025 global survey, The Radical ROI of Gen AI, 59% of respondents worried that advocating for the wrong use cases could cost them their job.—
Jennifer Belissent,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Congress Centre was buzzing with both dominating and dominant leaders from across the world.—
Vaishali Nigam Sinha,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Scientists working at microscopic scales have relied on a single dominant fabrication technique to build complex 3D structures.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The chair of the Federal Reserve is tasked with combating inflation in the United States while also supporting maximum employment.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
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Irving was caught when the State Police got a tip on May 29, 2025, from the smartphone messaging company Kik, which reported that three files shared on its platform appeared to be child pornography, according to a law enforcement affidavit supporting the charge.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Yet whenever Bunny turns away from Frank to take a call from one of his underlings about the day-to-day violence and ugliness of their industry, a somewhat disdainful look passes across Frank’s face.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
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Godchaux was a divisive figure among Grateful Dead devotees — many fans were frankly outright disdainful of her presence on stage.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Patronizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patronizing. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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