Synonyms of polarize

polarize

verb

ˈpō-lə-ˌrīz 

as in to divide

to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups

A hot button issue that is sure to polarize the public.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• divide
• split
• splinter
• separate
• alienate
• fragment
• antagonize
• estrange
• fracture
• embitter
• disaffect
• disgruntle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unite
• unify
• reconcile
• coalesce
• harmonize
• concentrate
• consolidate
• conciliate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of polarize

Part memoir, part how-to guide for heated political conversations, it’s perfectly timed for what could be one of the most expensive and most polarized midterm elections in modern history. — Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Critics have been polarized by the museum, with many in the film trade singing its praises while others in the art world have panned it. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Today’s media landscape has become far more saturated and polarized, as well as faster paced, in the decades since Grossman was a reporter. — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

In the last 25 years, the American electorate has become more polarized, distrustful, and apathetic. — Michael E. Neagle, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026